Boundless: Season 1
by eonsofmemories
Summary: A saga of finding your soul-mate in the most unlikeliest of places. Season 1.
1. A Boundless Journey

**Hey guys! The concept for this story is based from a TV show I was watching, and then ideas were spurring in my mind - and hence here is the result :) I hope this appeals to you and that you enjoy the read. xx Again, everyone will most likely be OOC, but still somewhat attached to their personalities, my forte yay tehe.**

* * *

**NOTES: **

**1. ****Gardenia is a fictional town in US – where the roots of Jack and Kim's relationship all began. **

**2. ****A large backdrop of this story is Christianity. I've tried my best to be accurate in terms of the religion and not offend it, but there are some scenes that need to be played out in a certain way, so I can't get around that. Bottom line – I in no way intend to insult or disrespect Christianity, and everything written in this chapter, and the chapters to come, is purely done for entertainment purposes and the plot of the story. **

**Boundless**

Prologue

Jack is a rich kid, Kim is a lower middle class girl… Jack hates the concept of love and has slept around all his life and, on the other hand, Kim totally believes in love and that love happens only once and it needs to be nurtured, and cherished for a lifetime.  
Jack's family, the Anderson family, is a rich high flying family living in L.A. and is headed by Marcus and Katherine Anderson. Katherine and Marcus have two sons, Joshua and Jack. Marcus also knows about Jack's wayward ways and wants his son to settle down with a girl who can show him the path and make him the man that he is capable of becoming. Marcus has had a beautiful relationship with Kim and a situation arises wherein he feels that she is the best for his son. And thus begins an unlikely but passionate coupling of two equally headstrong protagonists who don't see eye to eye on anything, let alone Love. The story follows their journey from hate to discovering love. From a NO… to a YES.

**Chapter 1: Wedding Crasher **

**Location: London, England **

He lay in deep slumber, his legs sprawled across his bed as the incessant noise of his alarm clock ringtone reached his ears. _Alarm clock ringtone? Since when did his alarm clock make music or have tunes? _He was too tired to reason with his mind, and made an effort to reach the alarm clock on his bed stool beside him with an outstretched arm. His head was still buried under his pillow in aggravation, as he struggled to reach his alarm clock and stop that pestering noise. His hands finally grabbed the circular object, and he fidgeted with it with his hands until it was face down on the oak surface.

Finding peaceful slumber again, he retracted his arm back to his bed.

However, the sound didn't stop. The tune kept going on and on like a ringtone. "Man, who could be calling this early?" He groaned to no one particular but himself, realizing that his phone was going off. He reached for his cellular as he extended his arm for the second time that morning. His hand continually obtained empty air as he tried to feel for his black, obsolete object; at last, he felt his phone in his fingers, and firmly grasped it, shutting off that noise that had been disturbing his slumber permanently.

"Hello?" He grumbled, putting his phone to his ear, his eyes weary and full of sleep.

Not a second later, his eyes shot wide open with utter shock as the words of the person on the other line sank into his ears. He immediately raised his upper body to get up, "WHAT! MARRIED?! Nononono you can't do this. I'm coming right now!" A split second later, he abruptly got out of his bed in a hurry, as if he had a life and death situation on his hands. His feet met the smooth, cool floor. It was a cream and golden-coloured hardwood floor. He was in such a hurry that he almost slipped on his two feet, but quickly regained his balance. Reaching for his phone on his bed under the covers, he swiftly left his posh and elegant dorm room, dashing out as if his life depended on it.

**Meanwhile… **in another part of the world, one more person had quite a busy agenda for the day, and was in quite the hurry.

**Locations: Gardenia, United States of America(1) (female) ; London, England (male)**

She grabbed her scarf that matched her outfit for the day off the clothesline on her roof, humming a tune in the process.

_She didn't know who he was…_

He played with the fabric of his shirt, fastening the buttons at the wrists. Hurriedly, he slipped on his watch and tied the laces of his shoes.

_but he was out there somewhere – her soul mate, the one person she would want to spend her life with for eternity._

She smiled to herself as she left the roof, and carefully stepped into her room so as not to make a sound, hastily grabbing her bag off her study table in her room, as she was in a hurry to reach somewhere.

_Her heart believed so. _

She walked through the courtyard of her home; peering behind the curtains, she watched as her mother was informing someone that the groom's family was coming to see Kim today at exactly 6:00 P.M. sharp, and her father was engrossed in reading from the Holy Bible, his spectacles drooping down on his nose.

**(AN: The whole premise of the story is largely based on Kim's arranged marriage – I know the concept of arranged marriages might not coincide with Christianity, but I really need it for the story, so no disrespect intended; done for entertainment purposes. ****J)**

A grin appeared on her lips as she slyly stepped out the door, making each step forward with caution so that no one would notice her leave. Children squealed in delight upon seeing her ride her pink and white coloured bicycle with a matching pink basket at the front down the street.

_There would be nothing new about it – it would just happen. No trials or tribulations. _

She rang her bell on her bike to say hi to the munchkins. Her blonde hair blew from the wind; yellow-tinted flats on her feet; dangling earrings on her ears; and her red, luscious lips curved upwards into an innocent yet confident smile.

_That was how she imagined her story - A passionate story of love. _

Carrying a white bag on his right shoulder, he ran like the wind, as fast as his legs could carry him down the bright, sunny London road bridge that surpassed the body of water beneath him; she pedaled down the busy, honking streets of Gardenia, moving past countless vehicles of all kinds – trucks, bicycles like her own, pedestrians, cars, Jeeps, you name it.

_Whether it be her tranquil nature, or her passionate nature…_

The silhouette of his body ascended down the steps as he hurriedly jumped down to reach his destination. He still had a long way to go. Moreover, she continued to pedal down the narrow lanes, less traffic now imminent.

_Whether it be her happiness, or her grief… _

He shuffled his way past the busy streets, bumping shoulders with crowds of people as he was in a rush; she continued to pedal down the asphalt roads of Gardenia, a peaceful calm surrounding her as she felt tranquility.

_Whatever life he would lived, he would live… _

He hurriedly dodged his fellow campus students as he ran through the beautiful, evergreen campus; she pushed her legs harder to pedal faster down the roads.

_Whatever he would do, he would do for her…_

No time to waste, he sprinted through the London streets further, his run now accelerating into a heavy jog as if he was running a marathon; she continued to pedal down, eager to reach her destination.

_Boundlessly. Happiness, grief, his life, his actions – everything would soon be boundless._

People sitting in patio's on the side of the street filled with various shops and restaurants weirdly watched him as he sped down the streets as if his life depended on it. Both individuals pedaled and ran in their respective locations; it was crucial that both of them reach their desired destinations as soon as possible.

Little did they know, that their destinations and destinies would soon cross paths very soon.

_Everything between them would be boundless, no limits, no exceptions, no expectations. A journey of boundless love. _

**-0-0-0-**

Seated in the back suit of his shiny white in colour, luxury, BMW car, Marcus Anderson was talking over the phone to his dear friend in Gardenia – they were so close and he loved her like a sister. Serena told him how Kim, her daughter, was getting married soon (an arranged marriage at that) – and that the groom's family was coming to see her for the first time today.

After reassuring her that everything would go by smoothly and that he would pray to God for the same, Marcus looked at the screen on his phone. His finger hovered over the contact number of Serena's daughter Kim, whose contact details were displayed on the phone. However, before he could call her, the image of his son's Dean popped up on his iPad on the empty seat beside him. His gaze wavered to the screen as he took it in his hands, surprised to see that the Dean of his son's college was video calling him via Skype.

"Mr. Watson? Now what has my boy done now?" He sighed, knowing he mustn't be in class. "Where is my boy?"

**-0-0-0-**

"I'm right here!" Milton shouted, clad in a black tuxedo suit, his hair gelled up to perfection. He ran down the wedding aisle and finally arrived to his bride at the wedding altar. It was a wedding on the lake, and he couldn't be happier it seemed.

"Where have you been? I've searched for you everywhere!" She immediately interrogated like a clingy girlfriend as he ran up to her. His bride had a heavy Polish accent, seeing that she was a foreign exchange student at an architecture school in the same city.

"Darling," He appeased her, looking into her eyes. "I was just thinking about our future life together, and it's going to be _beau-tiful_. Come, let's get married." They both turned towards the priest in front of them.

"Before I solemnize this wedding, I need to ask – does anyone have a problem with this wedding?" He said in a monotone voice.

"Problem?" Milton shook his head, as the thought itself was incredulous. "I don't think anyone here has a problem," he answered to the Priest, looking back over his shoulder at the numerous guests attending the wedding – all of which who were the bride's family and friends.

The bride's left hand was gently clasped in Milton's, her face full of blush.

However, their happiness was short lived upon hearing those dreadful words – "I HAVE A PROBLEM!"

The smile on Milton's face faltered when he heard the words, but was confused as to where the voice was exactly coming from. It was quite familiar. The male voice seemed to come from the… sky? Hearing the turbulence from an air vehicle, everyone turned their attention towards the helicopter flying in the sky, approaching the wedding venue from afar. Everyone stood up from their seats to look at the white and blue coloured chopper nearing them. Some gaped away, while others put a hand on their forehead and narrowed their eyes at the flying object in the sky. Everyone was left utterly shocked… to say the least. Who could have such a big problem with the wedding that they would need to hire a helicopter? Who was sitting in the vehicle? And why?

A firm hand grasped the open door of the chopper, and then the other hand grasped on the other side. The individual seated in the cockpit of the helicopter now turned his body, sticking his leg towards the open sky in front of him. Sticking his other leg towards the front as well, he got up from his seat and stood, looking at the beautiful scene before him.

And that boy was none other than **Jack Leo Anderson. **Flamboyant, charismatic, and charming were just some of the adjectives that could be used to describe him. He believed in living life to the fullest.

His eyes twinkled with charisma. A smile played on his lips as he stood, and his hair blew strongly from the wind, enjoying the breeze in the air. Deep down, he was a nice guy at heart. The people that stood below him looked like small ants to him.

"I have a problem!" He declared through the microphone piece in his ear that acted as a megaphone so that everyone below him could hear.

Milton watched in horror and shock as Jack stood right at the edge of the open door of the chopper – _what is he doing! He's gonna get himself killed! _

"_I _have a problem with this wedding!" He objected.

The guests looked him up and down as they could faintly make out that he was wearing jeans and a white shirt. If they would have gotten a good look at him, which they soon would, he was a definite looker.

His smile turned into a wide grin all around as he placed his feet on the ledge and released his arms, extending them laterally, barely touching the blue and white metal of the chopper.

Jack was one person who believed in living life _boundlessly_ – no expectations, no fear.

Bracing himself with no fear, he jumped down into the body of water beneath him. His arms spread out laterally to the side as he descended down and hovered slightly in the air.

The guests that were standing closer to the lake than others gaped wide open – their mouths open in the biggest o-faces imaginable, appalled at the boy's actions.

Jack emerged out of the water seconds later, standing on his two feet – his lower body still submerged in the cool water of the lake. Profusely shaking his head left and right like a dog would when wet, he moved one slow step at a time with charisma towards the wedding venue in front of him. Finally reaching the steps that led to the connecting platform to the venue, he ascended the steps with style as he raked his hands through his hair in a backward fashion, combing and styling it with his fingers. Everyone gaped with large o-faces, jaws dropped as Jack walked up the aisle as if it was a runway, and he a international supermodel. Needless to say, the female guests swooned as they noticed Jack's white shirt had stuck to his chest like glue, courtesy of the adhesion of water. They felt like fainting right then and there.

The bride looked at Jack in an appalled manner as he stood in front of her, clearly upset with why her wedding was being delayed.

"I have a problem!" He desperately objected again, looking at both Milton and his bride, and then at the Priest behind him. "Because the one who's getting married is my love!"

The bride looked at him in shock, she'd never seen him before in her life! Milton looked at her in bewilderment, moving his fingers gestured towards her and then moved them in Jack's direction.

"I don't know him, I swear!"

"Lies, lies, all lies!" Jack cried out in a dramatic manner. "So many promises we made to each other. And what, now you just swallow and spit them out?"

Milton looked at his bride with anger, shocked that his girlfriend had betrayed and cheated on him.

"But I deserve to ask one question." He declared, looking briefly at Milton, and then profusely at the bride.

Milton and the bride looked at each other in apprehension as Jack glared them down.

The bride gasped loudly as Jack abruptly and suddenly got down on his knees in less than a nanosecond, clasping Milton's hands desperately – "WHY DID YOU DO THIS TO ME? Why did you break my heart!"

Everyone standing by their chairs by the aisle made disgusted faces at Jack's action, appalled at what he was both saying and doing. His intentions were clear miles away.

"WHAT'S GOING ON HERE? Explain this to me right now! What is this, WHO is this?!" The bride began to hyperventilate, flailing her arms in the air, shocked at this new revelation. Milton was… like this? Oh, she'd been such a fool!

"Baby," he consoled her, desperately letting go of Jack's hands firmly latched onto his. "I-I don't know him!" He turned back to look at Jack on his knees, "Who are you!"

Jack latched his hands onto Milton's again, standing back up on his two feet. "You could stop lying now, my love." He said in a seductive voice.

Milton became frightened and scared of him as he came even closer, their bodies having minimal space between them. He shivered and stuttered as Jack spoke again seductively grazing his hand on Milton's heart, "I'm your only love."

"What about all those moments we spent together?" He said tenderly, as he softly put a hand on his right cheek, his hand lingering there.

Milton immediately pushed him away violently – "H-he-hey-y-yy! Wh-wha-whaa-whaat moments, huh!" "Moments," he mimicked in sarcasm. _Yeah right! I do NOT roll that way! _He then turned to his bride, clearing up the confusion, "He's lying, man!"

"But who is he!" His bride objected.

"Oh, but I haven't come alone." Jack said, coming closer to his so-called 'love' once again. "I've brought the symbol of our love with me," he told him, pinching his chin.

"S-s-sy-symm-symbol? What kind of symbol?" He stuttered, terrified of their proximity, and what Jack was doing.

"Look over there!" Jack turned his shoulders around to face the view behind him, "the proof of our love," his hands and head leaned on his shoulder.

Milton looked ahead, and saw an approaching golf cart driving towards them, and it seemed like there were heart-shaped _balloons_ all around it?

Jack winked and chuckled seeing Milton's state as he looked curiously at the golf cart approaching them. The European female driving the cart stopped it a couple meters in front of them, a big heart shaped poster linked to the back of the golf-cart. The banner was the size of a bulletin board one would see in metropolitan cities like New York, and was shrouded by a white cloth, as what the poster actually was was yet to be revealed.

_A poster? But what's on it? _

Jack eagerly awaited with a wide grin on his face as the young female behind the wheel got out from her seat and walked all around the cart, finally stopping right by the poster.

She revealed the poster, taking away the white sheet from the poster, revealing its contents. She did it just like a model would before revealing what's in the briefcase in an episode of 'Deal or No Deal'.

Milton had the biggest o-face ever imaginable as he gaped at the two photos on the poster. The one on top had Milton almost kissing Jack's cheek, while the other had Jack almost kissing Milton's cheek.

"Oh no!" The bride shouted, looking away. She couldn't even look. In fact, her bridesmaids, guests, everyone gaped in surprise seeing the romantic poster.

Milton gritted his teeth nervously, knowing that this was Jack's trick. He turned his head towards Jack, who had a wide smile on his face and was quirking his eyebrows at him, as he was proud of what he had managed to do in such a less amount of time. Milton glared at him, fisting his right hand, air punching him. _You're so dead, Jack._ Jack laughed in return.

Both of the boys' attention turned towards Milton's so-called bride as she spoke.

"Cheater! You cheater! You lied to me!" Jack let go of Milton and stood beside him, witnessing their breakup.

"What is this!" She turned him around by the shoulder, "You liar, you cheat! I HATE YOU!" Giving a hefty slap on the cheek, she fled down the aisle.

"Baby wait!" Milton immediately started to run after his ex-bride who had her posse of bridesmaids behind her, but was swiftly turned back around by Jack.

Jack put his arm around his shoulder, and started to walk in the other direction, away from the wedding venue. He whispered in a low voice, "Where are _you _going, my friend. Just follow my lead and do as I say, ok. Just let me do what I'm doing."

Milton looked like a confused puppy as he listened on, "HOW MANY TIMES have I told you to _not_ get involved with girls who drag you straight to the wedding altar." He let go of his arm around his shoulder and stood in front of him, "If it wasn't for me, you'd have went from happily single to _unhappily married_."

Milton pondered the thought then looked up at a smiling Jack, "Oh yeah! You saved me, bro! I could've been majorly done for my whole life." Jack grinned in response, his best friend was back.

"Hey, but where did you get those kissing pics?" Milton asked, his attention towards the poster still near them.

"That.. is just the magic of photoshop, my friend," Jack leisurely answered, putting his arms around his shoulders in a friendly manner.

"'Magic of photoshop,'" he grumbled in mimickry, taking his hands off his shoulders. _Grow up, Jack! _"And I've been calling you for so long! Where _is _your phone?"

Jack's _friend_ that had revealed the poster to everyone was standing beside the golf cart. Her eyes drifted to the iPhone that was in her hands – a contact by the name of "Darling" was calling. "Darling? Who's this _darling_?"

She picked up the phone and put it to her ear, "Hello?"

"Now who are _you?_" Jack's father spoke on the other line. _Yet another girlfriend of his perhaps? Jack was again up to no good_. "Where's Jack?"

"First you tell me." She barked rudely at him. "Who are _you? _Who is this _darling_?"

Marcus sighed profusely with a slightly annoyed face, "I'm Jack's father speaking."

The pupils of her eyes immediately dilated with shock, _ah shit. _

"Please give the phone to Jack." He curtly asked in a calm manner.

"Ohh! Sorry, Mr. Anderson. Sorry sorry sorry! … Yeah."

"Darling!" She called out to Jack, "it's Darling calling!"

Jack nervously wavered his eyes, dashing to get his phone back from her.

"Why'd she have to pick up Dad's call?" He grumbled quietly to himself as he took his phone in his hands and turned away from her.

"Hi Dad!" He answered as he walked forward.

"Where are you?"

"I um, Dad, uh I'm in college – in class." He said coolly.

"I see. Turn on your skype."

The colour from Jack's face immediately flushed out, and he looked himself down as he noticed that his t-shirt was still drenched.

"I want to see you sitting in your classroom," his father urged, knowing quite well that he was lying.

"Skype?" He stammered and stuttered. "I'm in class, how can I?"

"Stop _lying_ to me Jack. C'mon, turn on your Skype. I want to see you _now._" His father declared, giving him an ultimatum.

Having no choice but to agree, Jack answered "o-okay Dad."

**-0-0-0-**

Marcus was walking towards his cabin, when his iPad in hand alerted with a skype call. He opened it to find the screen of Jack gleaming at him with a smile, waving his fingers at him. "Hi Dad!"

"How's it going, my boy?"

"Nothing much. I just thought of getting some fresh air." He looked at his screen more closely, seeing Jack leaning against a balcony railing overlooking a lake.

The image of Mr. Watson calling on his skype appeared in the bottom right corner of the screen. He enlarged the faculty member's image and paused his call with his son, so that the images of Mr. Watson and Jack were now side by side in one frame.

"Mr. Anderson. Your son is just not interested in studies." The Dean spoke with a heavy British accent. "He never comes to college, and whenever he does, he's only interested in being with the girls."

He paused the conversation just like he had with Jack, and unmuted his conversation with Jack. "The thing is, I was getting a headache from all this studying. College, study. College, study. That's what you sent me here for right – MBA? That's what I'm doing," he told his father with a flamboyant smile.

Putting a hand in his pockets as he walked closer to his cabin and turning a corner, "my boy. I'm sure if you've studied so hard, your grades should be top-notch as well."

Jack's face immediately faltered, knowing his grades were nowhere near up to par. "Oh Dad! Wow, you're too good! You already know what I'm gonna say to you!" He told him enthusiastically as he stepped away from the balcony and stepped onto a rock ledge in front of him.

Marcus sat in his plush leather chair behind his desk in his cabin, switching on his plasma TV to see the images that were on his iPad now on his plasma TV.

He paused his conversation with Jack, and went back to Mr. Watson's.

"I was just about to tell you the result, Mr. Anderson."

"I aced the entire university, aced the entire college!" Marcus paused Mr. Watson's conversation again, and went back to Jack.

"Your son has _flunked_. He has FAILED!" Mr. Watson told Jack's father as he returned the conversation back to Mr. Watson. "He has brought shame on this whole college – "

PAUSE.

"You should'a seen the look on that Watson's face Dad! It was all scrunched up in shock with narrow eyes and everything! He wasn't even expecting me to pass!"

PAUSE.

"Mr. Anderson – it is no longer a surprise."

PAUSE.

"Your son just _loves_ to surprise you!"

"Of course. I know. You've 'aced' it." He told his son, and Jack smirked with happiness on the other side. "When are you coming back to America?"

"Whenever you say Dad! I can come in a couple of days."

"Tomorrow. You're coming to America tomorrow." He declared. "I really feel like embracing you," he said with a half-sarcastic tone seething out of his voice.

Jack sighed. "Me too, Dad. I feel like hugging you tight too. I'll come home _tomorrow._ Bye dad!" He waved his fingers goodbye, and Marcus shut his TV off.

His eyes suddenly drifted towards the purple beautifully-wrapped package on his desk. He opened it delicately, and found a Cross Pendant Fused Glass Pendant inside. He took it in his hands, and eyed it with admiration. It was beautiful. Beautiful as the one who had sent the religious gift. Peering inside the package more, he found a letter.

He picked the piece of paper from the package, and put the pendant back in the package momentarily.

_Hi, Marcus. _

_This is a cross pendant that I bought for you. This Friday, I'll be going to the sacred Church and will pray for your well-being._

_Goodbye._

In Gardenia - Her boat finally landed onto the shore, and she firmly placed her foot at the shore in the water.

Back to L.A. – Without a second thought, Marcus knew only person could be so thoughtful of him.

_"Kim._" He voiced out.

"She went all the way to the Church on the other side of town without telling anyone?"

She walked inside, and stood at the very front near God's altar. She bent her head down and clasped her hands together, intertwining her fingers to pray silently.

_Well God. I prayed for Marcus's well-being. Now let's talk about me. Mom says that my life is about to change_.

And that exact change was in London – Jack was raising his hands in the air, feeding off the energy of his peers as he partied the night away. He did numerous fist pumps in the air as he stood on a table, numerous of his friends cheering him on below.

Kim opened her eyes, and they revealed themselves. They were a chocolate brown, full of innocence and simplicity. She was a carefree, modern, and lively girl. She raised her head to face the altar.

_Mom says that God is going to send someone for His darling child. _

And that SOMEONE was currently enjoying himself with his friends, partying away under the discolights that scanned the dance floor.

_I hope that who God sends, I hope he's the best guy in the world!_

Jack's friends lifted him on their hands, as he soared through the crowds, chanting his name.

_He will be, won't he?_

Jack continued to party away, it was pure bliss fist pumping and dancing with his friends.

Kim unwove her fingers and stood up.

Two very similar people, both strong-headed, both lively, carefree, and both individuals immensely loved Marcus. However, they clearly belong to two different worlds. But what did destiny have in store for them? How will they fall in love?

How would the journey of boundless love begin?

Wait and Watch.


	2. Mr Right

**Chapter 2: Mr. Right? **

**Hi everyone! Thank you so much for the overwhelming response for this fic! Especially on my twitter and instagram – I'm entirely grateful. **

**NOTE: Just want to point out again – the backdrop is heavily based on Christianity & Catholicism – done purely for entertainment purposes – no disrespect intended!**

* * *

Realizing that she forgot that her possibly future groom's family is coming to see her today, she quickly got into the row boat that she arrived in just as it was leaving the shore.

It was now quarter to six, and Kim was leisurely paddling in the lake with her oar, one stroke at a time; The oar guy who had brought her to the church via his boat was sitting on the other side, paddling away with his oar. Hearing her cellphone ring, she stopped her stroke midway, reaching her left hand for her phone in her bag.

"Hello?" She answered.

"Kimmy, this isn't fair. Mom's glaring me down as if everything that's going down here is all my fault." Her sister worriedly complained.

"I'm coming," she reassured her. "I'm almost at the shore." Kim continued to paddle through the waters with one hand grasped onto the oar. "So – what's the scene at home?"

"Kimmy, we've got a pretty bad scene on our hands." Her sister turned over her shoulder to see the groom and his mother and father sitting on the living room couch, "they've been here for half an hour already."

Kim's eyes immediately dilated in surprise, her oar hovering in the air. "Oh dang! Such keeners – they came early? Have they come curtly or rudely? Oh, and they didn't bring their whole bandwagon of family, did they?"

"Nah, Kimmy. But one thing's for sure – (turning head over shoulder to look at the boy and his parents) – they've definitely forgotten their manners as soon as they saw the food." Grey continued, "they've gulped down 3 plates of falafels and 2 plates of pastries already!" She said with a smile.

Kim laughed, and the sister-duo shared a few laughs as they made fun of the family sitting in the room behind Grey.

"Okay tell me something – what about the guy?" She asked excitedly, curious to know what her possibly future husband was like.

"Oh him? He's in his own dreamland – he's been staring at your photo in his hands the whole time," she told her as she looked back briefly to see Brett dreamily gazing at Kim's photo like no tomorrow.

"So? Let him look all he wants." Rolling her eyes, she went on, "if the photo doesn't have a problem, then why would I?"

"_Kimmmmmyyyy._ It's gonna be a HUMONGOUS problem if you don't get home in time!"

"Yeah yeah, I'm coming." She hung up quickly, hurriedly putting the phone back in her bag. She clasped her hands back onto the oar more firmly than before in a determined manner, and dipped into the water to push the boat faster.

Arriving at the docks, the small boat finally came to a stop, coinciding along with the other many boats lined along the shore. Kim gave the oar to the man across from her and then grabbed her bag lain beside her. She stood up firmly so as not to topple, and handed the man a one dollar bill.

"Here ya go – 1 dollar."

She stepped out in a rush to leave, but the man's words stopped her in her tracks.

"It's two dollars, ma'am." He objected.

"Well I used one of the oars to row the boat, so that why you get a dollar." She hurriedly replied in justification. She hastily got out of the boat and onto the wooden dock as the boat rower still objected, "But ma'am my two dollars – "

"I'm late!" She answered back as she ran forward, towards her bike.

* * *

Later that night on the terrace of their home, Kim was massaging her mother's tired shoulders from all the hectic shenanigans of the day. And all for what? For her daughter to not even come home in time to see the boy and his family? All that hard work for nothing.

"I said I'm sorry, Mom. _Mother? _I know I made a mistake." Kim apologized in a pleading manner to her mother as she massaged her shoulders and back, but her mother remained miff, and looked ahead.

"_Yeah,_" her younger sister Grey scoffed, rubbing it in, "ya made a HUGE mistake all right." It wasn't everyday she got to see her darling, perfect sister get the cold shoulder. She was really getting a kick out of this, but she loved her sister all the same.

"Oh, shut it." She glared as she kneaded harder into the muscles of her mother's shoulder and back. "Rub it in, why don't you."

"She's right," her mom intervened, finally speaking after a long silence. "If you would have been home, then the alliance would have been fixed on the spot." She disappointingly said, knitting the sweater in her hands.

Kim groaned, "How could it just 'be fixed', just like that?" She opened her mouth to speak again, "And all you care about is their approval or disapproval, what about _my_ approval?"

Hearing Kim's forsaken words, Serena's hands lingered and froze midway as she was using the needles to knit the sweater.

"Has anyone even bothered to ask me if I approve of this alliance or not?" Her mother pondered at Kim's words. "What kind of guy _I_ want?" Kim grumbled.

Serena abruptly turned around in her seat to face her, appalled that she had the audacity to say such forsaken words – "Oh dear Lord!" She cried out. "Grey, go and close the door right now!"

Scared of her outburst, Grey hurriedly went to close the door as her mother continued, "Your great-aunt is here, she'll hear everything!" She was very conservative, and the notion of a love marriage was itself taboo to her.

Once she closed the door, Kim looked at her mother in fear as she glared at her. She looked down unable to meet her smoldering eyes, when all of a sudden she felt her nudge her shoulder playfully. "Now tell me," she said with a smile. "What kind of boy do you want?"

The trio laughed at this lighthearted moment.

Blush crept on her cheeks as she thought of her version of Mr. Right. "Mom, I do have an image of him in my mind," she gushed. "**Completely blurry and vague**_." _

Blurry. Just like Jack's glistening silhouette as he descended the steps of his residence at sunrise under the blue sky, ready to go back home.

She stood up and started to walk around her mother and sister, ecstatic in explaining her dream boy to them, "**There's this way he carries himself**."

Jack stepped foot into the airport halls, walking with style. Every woman's head would turn when he would walk in. Charismatic, electrifying, magnetic.

"**You know, flamboyant - the hero types**." _My modern knight in shining armour. _

Jack stood on the escalator with his suitcase on the floor of the step he was standing on. Wherever he went, wherever he stood, he always attracted attention towards himself because of his exuberance, confidence, and stylishness. Clad in fitted jeans, a rusty brown v-neck and a casual, stylish orange-coloured Fit Zip Jacket, he walked on with a charming smile, proceeding towards his check-in.

"**Always a smile on his face**." She described to them as she walked towards her balcony.

Jack happily handed the airline agent his passport and visa, eager to get home.

Milton jolted Jack as he stood in front of the woman behind the check-in desk, surprising him from behind. After the initial surprise of seeing him, Jack smiled and laughed. There was never a dull moment in _his _life.

The voice of the check-in agent rung in Jack and Milton's ears while they were laughing with each other, causing their eyes to shift towards her.

"That's all good and fine sir, but you'll have to pay for extra luggage," she informed him with a boring, monotone voice. She looked at her computer screen in front of her as a big watermark of "OVERLOAD" in crime red appeared over the suitcase that Jack had put in the system. Its total weight was 40 kg, whereas the limit of one piece of luggage in travel was 35 kg.

"100 pounds per 5 kg," she added, as a matter of fact.

Milton smirked, grabbing his shoulders, "Mr. Jack, time to loosen your pockets, my friend. A hundred pounds for every 5 kilograms," he teased, challenging him.

What would Jack do now?

"**Smart, intelligent, who can solve any situation in the blink of an eye,"** she described, snapping her fingers at the end.

Milton watched with a smile as Jack took off his stylish jacket, and put it by his suitcase that was on the black assembly belt.

The airline agent stood up from her seat in surprise, her eyes wide open with shock – "What are you doing?"

She looked at the luggage assistant behind her in curiosity, wondering what the boy in front of her was up to as he started to unzip his suitcase, and pull out a yellow slim-fitted, long-sleeved Henley t-shirt, wearing it on top of his v-neck thin material shirt. The crowd of people lined up single file behind him peered at him, watching him pull out another blue-coloured zip vest and wear it on top of the yellow shirt.

Jack quirked his eyebrows at her, enjoying seeing her flustered state, continuing to pick up yet another sweater vest from his open luggage, pulling it over his head to wear.

Picking up yet another dark brown coloured leather jacket and putting it onto his layered body, Jack quirked his eyebrows and winked at the male luggage attendant behind the female airline agent, inwardly laughing at his baffled state.

He barely managed to slide his arms in to the orange jacket he was previously wearing, tugging on it so that it would slide onto his shoulders. Finally all set, he flashed a gleaming smile the female agent's way.

"It's pretty cold today. Can you please check the bag now?"

She did as told, clicking a few buttons to pull up the luggage screen again. The total weight of his suitcase now amounted to 34 kilograms, right under the benchmark of 35 kilograms. "Sir now it's fine," slight reluctance clear in her voice.

"I know," he said with a smug smile.

"Thank you," he curtly said with a smirk on his face, taking his boarding pass from the desk and leaving the check-in area with an aura that spelled confidence, charm, and wit.

"**Someone who is well-mannered – respects seniors and those elders to him." **Kim continued to describe what traits she'd like in her future life partner.

Seated in their seats in their gate area, awaiting the departure time of their flight, Jack noticed an elderly couple with hefty handbags in their arms standing near the seats, looking for a spot to sit in. They seemed tired from probably their last transit flight, exhausted to the core. Milton had just been minding his business in the hard seat next to him, when he noticed Jack stand up from his seat abruptly.

"Hey guys, c'mon get up! Go go go," he urged the two youngsters sitting in front of him to get out of their seats, and make way for the two seniors. "Move!" He shouted at them, practically making them give up their seats.

Before they could even know what was going on, Jack had beckoned the two seniors to sit in their places.

"Thank you," the elder man said politely, thanking him for his kind gesture as he sat beside his wife.

"You're welcome, sir." He answered back in just the same polite manner, easing back into his seat beside Milton. Jack started to take some of his layers off, placing them into his backpack by his seat.

Milton watched the whole scene, and silently snickered in laughter – _Ah Jack. _The bastard – won't give up his own seat, but'll instead make others give up theirs. _Priceless_.

"**The guy should be funny – who has a good laugh himself, and makes others laugh too."** Kim said with a smile, just thinking about her dream guy.

Milton couldn't control his laughter when Jack started to impersonate Mr. Watson, making funny faces.

Pointing his index finger in a glaring manner as if he was the posh Dean of the faculty, he mimicked, "YOU YOU JACK ANDERSON. You're FAIL (tilting his head to the side, flailing his arms laterally, impersonating him), you're FLUNK (squinting his eyes, imitating him with hand gestures)! YOU YOU MILTON KRUPNICK, You're FAIL, you're FLUNK! YOU YOU FRANK MARTA, You're FAIL, you're FLUNK!"

Milton was laughing so hard he kept slapping his thighs, and looked at his best friend as he laughed along, "I mean c'mon Watson, pass _someone _already!" Jack commented in between laughs, making fun of his ex-dean.

**THAT…** was how Kim imagined her dream guy to be. The sound of her mother's voice interrupted the dreamland she was in - "Hmm… someone who's always smiling, can solve any given problem in any situation…" Kim turned her face towards the left to see her mother standing beside her, pondering about the qualities she aspired to have in her future husband.

"… Well-mannered, yet funny? Hey, that sounds just like you!" Her mom excitedly told her.

Kim's eyes widened at her mother's revelation. _Me? _She'd never thought of it that way. Serena Crawford grabbed a hold of her daughter's shoulders, turning her around to face her, "You want a guy like you?" She asked with a smile.

"Like me? Uhm, well if he is like me, there's nothing wrong with that." _ I guess. _"But he _does_ have to have all _these_ qualities."

Serena laughed at her daughter's cute antics.

"So tell me," she asked her mother, "does your Brett Adams… fit the bill?" She questioned apprehensively.

Serena's smile dropped upon hearing her daughter's innocent question. She remembered how Brett just kept boring his eyes into his daughter's photo that was in his right hand. He didn't say a word – he was shy, conservative, but he WAS well-mannered and responsible!

Stammering briefly, "Uh- of course Kim! Of course he is, in fact he's JUST like what you described!" She didn't have the heart to let her daughter's hopes down.

Kim immediately started to blush hearing her mother's words. In her mind, she began to imagine her whole life around him. But there was still one thing..

"okay fine, but I won't approve of him until I see his photo." _It's only fair. _

Serena still had a sullen look on her face as Kim's phone began to ring, and she rushed to pick it up.

"Ah It's Marcus!" She gushed out excitedly; her sister also ran towards where Kim was, ecstatic at the voice of their favourite person. He was like the Uncle they never had… in a way.

* * *

The next day, Marcus descended the lavish and extravagant marble stairwell of his home, as he was on his phone conversing with Serena and Chuck on the other line, yet again. He congratulated them for the alliance of Kim and Brett's marriage, as Kim had finally agreed to marry him upon his insistence. Marcus had nevertheless also made Serena and Chuck promise her that they would show her a photo of Brett.

Marcus made relentless efforts to give monetary aid to her family as a gift for her darling Kim, but her parents bluntly refused again and again. All they wanted was his presence at her wedding. That would be the greatest gift of all.

As he walked down the elegant halls of his mansion still talking to Serena and Chuck as he held his phone to his ear, one of his butlers approached him, "Sir, Jack is here."

"Jack's here?" Marcus repeated, ecstatic his son was finally back home after a long period of 7 years. "I'll be right there," he told his servant.

"Jack'S HERE?!" Serena repeated in ecstasy, shouting through the phone while it was on speaker. It'd been more than 15 years that she'd last seen her Jack.

Surprised at the excitement in her voice but yet happy, Marcus replied, "Oh yes, sorry I forgot to tell you." He had been so busy in work since he owned a multinational chain of hotel companies, and on top of that, the New Years' Party that he was to host was but a couple days away. It had totally slipped his mind to inform Jack's favourite person of his arrival.

"Well Marcus, if you're so busy with your work, why don't you send Jack over here to Gardenia?" Serena suggested, excited.

"Yes, of course!" Chuck Crawford perked up, agreeing with his wife.

Marcus pondered at the same, it wasn't a bad idea. Plus, it'd be nice for him to go visit Gardenia again.

* * *

Jack had finally come back home – home sweet home. He missed it, the people, the place, the moments. It'd been 7 years. Too long of a time. He looked out the circled, glass window of the front extravagant door as he took his lavish home in. To say it was beautiful… was an understatement. It was beyond that, no words could describe the elegance of the mansion. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see an indoor waterfall fountain, and as he opened the doors and entered in, he became awestruck.

He stretched his arms and yawned, tired from the jet lag he got on the flight. But he was happy. Happy to be back home with the people he loved.

His mother greeted him in a motherly fashion, embracing him; yet, she did it in such a manner that she still maintained poise and class, being the high-society woman she was. He hugged his mother back warmly, and they both walked on into the main foyer of the mansion.

After some moments of small-talk, his mother finally popped the dreaded question – "And what about your grades?" Her voice was stern, her lips formed into a thin line, seriousness all around.

Before Jack even had the opportunity to give an answer to his mother, his father approached them with a proud smile, "My son has aced!" He chuckled deeply and heartily as he stood in front of his wife and son.

"Oh really?" She commented, unable to believe her husband's words. "I'm sure if he's aced his exams, he's bound to have some kind of gradesheet." She challenged, knowing very well of his son's nature that he probably didn't take school seriously yet again.

Prepared for every kind of situation, Jack smugly pulled out a rolled piece of paper from inside of his jacket, but became surprised when his father had done the same thing. Katherine eyed the two boys in front of her as their faces dropped seeing each others' rolled papers.

_Give me those! _She snatched both papers from their hands, unrolling each one.

Both boy and man looked down at the ground as if they were about to get caught by the principle in school.

As Katherine sternly rolled open Jack's paper in a focused manner, both father and son glared each other down. Her eyes scanned down the legitimate-looking laminated paper.

_University of East London. _

_A _

_A _

_A+_

…_._

_Final grade: A++_

The trio repeated their actions for Marcus's paper, and Katherine finally spoke, announcing the verdict.

Looking at her son, she spoke, "Your report card says A double plus," (now looking at her husband) "…and yours says A _triple _plus."

"Hmm?" Marcus innocently raised his head towards his wife, which was previously lowered on the ground, taking interest in the shiny, marble floor.

"The both of you could have at least talked to each other before making these fake report cards."

"What are you saying, Katherine?" He faux scoffed in shock. With slight nervousness, he continued on, "That's ridiculous. Why would I make a fake report card?"

"_Mr. Marcus_, what did you think? Mr. Watson only talks to you?" She looked at her husband sternly, appalled that he always took his son's education so lightly.

Jack nervously looked around, anywhere but at his mother. If looks could kill, he'd definitely be a dead lamb.

"Oh, who is _Watson_ to give a degree to my son!" _Saved by the Darling. _"I've uh, decided that he will uh – he will.. learn on the job! Yes. Right Jack?"

"Right, Dad." Jack said right back, coinciding with his father's words. They both exchanged a fist punch between them.

"And from tomorrow, he'll join me at work! Right Jack?"

"Right, Dad." _Fist punch. _

"And on the 31st of December, he'll help out in planning out the company's New Years' Party, right Jack?"

"_Absolutely_, Dad." _Fist punch_.

Katherine watched with wide eyes at the playful interaction between her husband and her son. "Great, just great. Pamper him some more, why don't you." She gave a deathly stare to her husband, and Marcus flinched in return.

"Anyway. Go and get changed quickly," she told her son sternly, turning her attention towards him now. "Lunch will be ready in 15 minutes. I want you there." She left towards the kitchen to prep for lunch.

"You knew, didn't you. And still, you…" He trailed off, grateful for having the best dad in the world. "You're a _darling_, Dad!" He said, coming closer to him and putting his hands on his shoulders. "But who gets an A triple plus?"

"Well, you said you 'aced' it, so I thought instead of giving you a double A plus… I mean, everyone gets an A++, you're Marcus Anderson's son after all, so I gave you a triple A!" He explained with a hearty deep chuckle, patting his shoulders.

"But seriously Dad. You know the truth… I'm so relieved." He hated lying to his father. He meant the world to him. Jack immediately enveloped his father into an embracing hug.

"Brat." Marcus commented as he wrapped his arms around his son.

Finally pulling away, Marcus spoke, "Now go on and get ready. I'll see your leave, mhhm?"

Jack nodded with a smile as his father left to go to work.

* * *

"Lizzy bear!" He exclaimed as he hugged his live-in nanny from behind as she was busy in the kitchen. "You forgot me, didn't you. You didn't call or message me once while I was gone!"

"There wasn't a day in these past seven years that went by that I didn't think of you." She warmly said to him.

"Okay, now open your hands." Jack excitedly told her. Not able to bear the excitement, he pulled out her hands, the palms open.

Elizabeth became surprised seeing the gold earrings in her open hands. "Earrings? Now what on Earth will I do with these? You should give these to your future wife," she teased.

"The thing is, Lizzy bear, the girl that I want… doesn't exist," Jack told her with a know-it-all smirk on his lips as he casually hung his arm around her shoulder. "And if she doesn't exist, then what's the point in waiting?"

"God has a soulmate for every human on Earth. And the girl that He's picked out for you – she'll be the _best_ girl in the world."

And she really was the best girl in the world. Not only did she have the brains, but she also had the brawns. Tomboyish, yet girly; well-mannered, yet spunky. The one girl that would teach Jack what love really was all about – the one girl who Jack would BOUNDLESSLY love to no extent.

* * *

**Next time on Boundless: **

Marcus: "Jack, go live a little in Gardenia. Maybe you can find a new meaning there."

Jack stared out his window on the bus in Gardenia, and was shocked to find Kim on her bike right beside her in the road lane next to him. He immediately got off the bus in pursuit of her, following her to an old, historical castle.

Jack & Kim had finally come face to face, and Kim's face instantly grew ecstatic at the sight of Jack before her, getting butterflies in her stomach, not able to believe her eyes.

* * *

**Let me know what y'all think! More feedback/more reviews = faster updates! :D **

**Favourite part/line? My personal fav is the whole report card scene between the family trio hehe ;) **

**Shoutout to karategirl77, ProudlyUnique, Maddyliza1234, and Kicklover24 for reviewing!**


	3. Misunderstandings - The Root of it All

**Chapter 3: Just a little Misunderstanding**

Kim wandered into the living room in the pursuit of the letter, which deemed to contain Brett's photograph. Nearly in her hands, her sister and her friends decided to mess around with her and snatch the letter away. And thus began this petty game of 'find the envelope.'

In the courtyard, two white-coloured envelopes lay on the coffee table. A gust of wind swept by, sweeping one of the envelopes off the table and onto the ground near the leg of the table; it was now away from Kim's line of sight. Swiftly walking into the courtyard to see a white-coloured envelope lying on the table, her face at once lit up at the notion of it being the same one she had had in her hand moments ago before her sister took it away from her. Kim strutted up to the table, taking the envelope in her hands. Before opening it, she gazed at it, getting excited of what she thought could be inside it; the thought itself of at last seeing the man she'd be spending her life with made her happy to no extent. Looking around to make sure no one was watching her, she started to open up the flap in excitement.

Kim felt the thin, paper material of the photograph as she pulled it out of the envelope. Her eyes dilated at the sight of the features of the person on the photograph as she began to pull the contents of the envelope out. She saw brown, chestnut hair first, and that exhilarated her to pull it out further, now revealing his face. _He was alluring_, her heart told her as her eyes looked at **Jack's face** on the photo in wonder. Brown, chestnut hair, and two moles on both sides of his face. She couldn't stop gazing now; there was no turning back. His face was now forever etched in her mind – her future husband, her future soulmate. She pulled it out further to show an elegant royal robe he was wearing; he looked no less than a prince from a Disney movie. It was obvious that the photo she was looking at was most likely a shot from a model photo shoot. Indeed, it was. Marcus had sent Serena one of Jack's model photo shoots so that Serena could recognize him when he would come to Gardenia.

A smile played on her lips as Kim innocently looked at his photo, like what Brett had done with her photo yesterday.

"So this is Brett Adams." Blush crept onto her cheeks as she imagined the man in the photo as her soul mate, her future life partner. Doves perched in the courtyard soared in the air, signaling the start of a new story. A story – that would begin with just a teeny misunderstanding.

* * *

Jack and Milton walked in through the doors of Belle Royale, the main headquarters of Marcus Anderson's hotel franchise. Milton was going bonkers at the thought of _Jack_ working. As in job working.

"Dude, you're gonna _work?! _I mean, _you_ and _work! _That's crazy, man. Plus, what about our Bangkok trip for New Years'? I already booked two tickets!"

But Jack was calm, cool, and collected as he walked on into the reception lobby. "Look, Dad said to work, so I'll have to work _a bit_. And as for Bangkok –" He froze midway his sentence as his legs slowed to a halt, and his eyes wandered to an attractive woman clad in a blue dress, walking towards the reception desk. She had red, auburn hair, and courtesy of the high dress she was wearing, she also had long, smooth legs. "Oh, we're going to Bangkok all right," Jack told his friend as he looked at him. But his eyes were on the _ooh-la-la_ lady in front of him, "But not two, three. Book another ticket."

Oblivious to Jack's sly thoughts, Milton asked, "Now who's the third?!" He just didn't understand his best friend sometimes.

* * *

Joshua, Jack's older brother, was surprised to feel Jack's touch on his shoulders as he was stuck in a fix. He was conversing with his wife on the phone while the attractive lady before him kept pestering him as they stood near the reception desk. Why wouldn't she just let him be?

"What's wrong bro? Any problem?"

_You're a total lifesaver_. Joshua looked at his brother, "Yes. Could you take her to Mr. Pearson please? Thanks." And with that, he left the lobby, talking to his wife on the phone, "Whaat? No, love. That girl…."

Jack cleared his throat and tugged on his leather jacket as he took a step closer to the belle in front of him.

"Hi." He said with a lilt in his voice.

"Hi," Nicola said politely.

"So… Shall we?"

"Where?"

"If you want, to Mr. Pearson. _Or… _I have some better plans."

"Better plans like?" Nicola questioned.

"Please, walk with me." He told her, gesturing her – _ladies first._

* * *

Kim looked at Jack's photo, which now sticked, taped on her dressing table mirror.

"Brett Adams. I totally thought at first by your name, you'd be some geeky nerd or something. But no, you're quite alright," she said a monologue to herself in an exciting manner, admiring his face on her mirror.

All of a sudden, she heard her sister calling out for her, and immediately took off the photo from the mirror and hid her hand behind her back. Her sister walked in to her room, and she seemed quite tense and worried. It was as if she was looking for something as if her life depended on it.

"What. Why are you wandering around like a sullen ghost?" She asked her, rolling her eyes.

"I can't find that envelope!" She answered back, tensed. It had Jack's photo in it, and her mother was quite worried about the same. How was she going to recognize her darling Jack now?

"Well, I found _my_ envelope. Now scram."

"Thank God you found your envelope," she answered back as she continued to rummage through the stuff in Kim's room. "But then where did _that_ envelope go?" Grey muttered to herself. Not finding any luck, she grudgingly left the room. _Mom was gonna have a fit._

As soon as her younger sister left, Kim immediately perked up. Bringing her hand out from behind her back to in front of her, Kim revealed Jack's photo again in her hands. She giggled, "So where was I?"

* * *

"So you're a TV celebrity – Nicola Roberts." Jack affirmed as the duo walked on in the halls of Belle Royale. "I mean, you're such a good dancer, a great performer. And you're gonna perform in _this _hotel?" His tone suggested the idea that performing at Belle Hotels franchise was not up to her standards.

"You're saying that about your own hotel chain?"

"I wasn't saying because of _my_ hotel, I was just saying it for _you_," he justified himself, turning his body towards her as he spoke. "I mean, you should be in, say, Bangkok! With me."

Before Nicola had a chance to reply back to his offer, Marcus Anderson approached them, "What plans are being made here?" His voice slightly startled Jack as he turned to face his father.

"Oh nothing Dad!" He played it coolly. "This is Nicola, and Nicola, this is Dad."

"I know she's Nicola." Jack's charming smile dropped as his father burst his bubble. He directed his attention towards his female client, "You can go to Mr. Pearson, last cabin to the left. Go and sign your contract." His tone reflected a completely all business, no-nonsense mood.

"Uhm, Mr. Jack was just saying – me and him, uh Bangkok…" She trailed off in her soft, naïve voice.

Jack cleared his throat at her words in front of his father.

"Oh! I see. You and Jack… Bangkok." Marcus mused. He looked at his son with an amused smile, "but Jack is going to _Gardenia._"

Jack wore the biggest o-face imaginable as he thought he heard that he was going to _GARDENIA?! _Did he hear that right? No WAYYY!

"Will you go to Gardenia?" Marcus urged Nicola.

"_Gardenia?!_" She repeated with disgust. "Nooo," she declined, horrified at the thought of going to _that_ village city.

"Last cabin to the left, Nicola. Please," he commanded her, practically forcing her to leave him alone with his son.

As soon as Jack saw Nicola leave through the corner of his eye, he immediately came closer to his father, whispering in his ear in a soft voice. He couldn't even _say_ the dreaded place without anyone hearing him. "_Gardenia? _When did this happen, Dad?"

"Why so surprised?" Marcus said nonchalantly, as if it was no big deal at all. It was their hometown after all, nothing to be ashamed about. "I'm serious." He looked around to make sure he wasn't attracting attention towards himself and his son, "you're going to Gardenia tomorrow."

"Nice joke Dad." Jack scoffed in return, _yeah right_. He laughed in disbelief. However, his laugh had disappeared in an instant as soon as he noticed his father pull out an air ticket from a pocket inside his blazer, "it's not a joke."

Before Jack could even fathom what was happening, his father handed him the white coloured ticket paper. "This is your ticket. Go home and pack your stuff. You have a flight tomorrow morning." And with that, he left his son to gape away dumbfounded at the flight ticket to Gardenia in his hands.

"Departure from Bangkok, and arrival in Gardenia," he muttered to himself. _Just great_.

* * *

Jack casually sat on the sofa in the grand hall of Belle Villa, his home. His mother and brother were both sitting below him on the cushions on both sides of him. They had promised him that they would talk to his father as soon as he got home, and convince him to let him go to Bangkok, not Gardenia.

However, he jumped to his two feet onto the ground at once, seeing his father stride into the Grand Hall, a butler behind him carrying his briefcase and blazer.

"So. All set and ready to go?" He asked his son as he approached his family.

Everyone now got up off their seats on the couch as they noticed Marcus's arrival. They all began to plead to let Jack go to Bangkok instead of Gardenia.

But Marcus gave no reply, no sign of budging from his firm decision.

His wife decided to take matters into her hands. There was no way she was going to let her son go to that wretch of a city. "Marcus, please." She tried to appease him. "Let him go to Bangkok, it's for New Years."

"Katherine my dear, New Years comes and goes around every year. It'll be nice for him to go to Gardenia." He walked forward to stand beside his son who had a melancholy expression on his face. "He should go there, he doesn't even recognize half the faces there."

"Exactly Dad!" His son exclaimed in return, putting the glass of orange juice he had in his hands onto the oak coffee table in front of him. "I don't recognize ANY of the people there. And if I don't even remember anyone, then what's the point of _going_ Dad?" He questioned, grabbing a hold of his upper arms.

"Jack," he said with an endearing tone. "Go live in Gardenia for a bit. Maybe something good can come out of it."

_Yeah, right. In Gardenia – NO WAY! _He urged his brother and his wife standing beside him to do something, and they subsequently began to plead again like no tomorrow. His mother also joined in, in the hopes that her husband would change his decision.

"Alright alright!" _No need to create a ruckus. _"So then Bangkok it is." Marcus declared, being outnumbered.

"Thanks Dad you're the best!" Jack exclaimed, he knew his dad loved him too much.

As his family members rejoiced and relaxed at Marcus's new decision, Marcus slyly pulled his phone out of his pocket of his trousers.

_Message Sent. _

Jack felt his phone suddenly vibrate in his pocket, and pulled it out.

_Message from: ECECI Bank_

_Dear Customer: Your Credit Card No: XXXXXXXX has been blocked. – ECECI Bank _

"Dad. You blocked my _cards?!_"

Marcus gave a sly smile as he turned towards his son. "Well son the deal didn't include a part of your _cards_ being activated as well."

_You gotta be kidding me_.

"Have fun in _Bangkok_." Marcus told his son as he left the living room and ascended the stairwell up to his master bedroom.

"Dad! Da-d! Hold on a second, Dad! Wait!" Jack called out for his father as he hastily followed him up the lavish staircase.

Marcus walked on as Jack closely trailed behind him, miffed about his decision. "Go to Gardenia first, and then I'll sponsor your trip to Bangkok, and that's a promise." He firmly told him, _no buts no excuses._

Jack finally caught up to his fast-paced father, standing in front of him, blocking him from going any further. "But Dad – What's in Gardenia?" Why was it so important for him to go to Gardenia right around New Years'?

"Kim's wedding. In 7 days."

"Who Kim?"

Putting an endearing hand on his shoulder, "_Our_ Kim. Your dear friend - Serena's _daughter_."

Jack was left dumbfounded at the thought of Kim as Marcus left him alone standing in the middle of the second floor hallway. His mind drifted to the clearest memory he had of Kim from his childhood.

* * *

Little ten-year-old Kim was sitting on a lawn chair, crying waterfalls of tears as her mother started to use scissors to cut the bottom of her pigtails. She glared at ten-year-old Jack who sat in a similar lawn chair across from her, sipping on his orange soda through a curly straw pursed to his lips. Seeing her state, little Jack laughed to no extent.

"Mom! Jack stuck gum in my hair!" She complained profusely to her mother as she stood behind her, trying to cut around the gum area of her hair.

"I told you not to mess with me, sucker!" He told the little girl, sticking his tongue out at her and pointing his index finger at her teary face.

"Well if I cry, I'm gonna make you cry too!" She threatened, sticking his finger at him.

"HA. I'm going back to L.A. tomorrow. I'm never coming back! I hate you! Bye!" Jack put his glass full of soda on the coffee table in front of him, and then got up. However, just as fast he felt himself being pushed down on the seat again. _Huh? _He tried to get up again, but it was to no avail. Every time he raised his body to get up, he felt a force pushing him back down.

Kim laughed as Jack struggled to get out of his seat, even her mother found it funny. _Ah, revenge is sweeeet_. Marcus approached his son as he began to fuss in his seat, on the verge of tears.

"Daddy! Riniiii!" He shouted as he felt his father put a hand on his shoulder. "That Kim put glue on my chair!" He complained to his daddy as he turned in his seat to face him.

"Oh dear," Marcus sympathized with his son with a soft voice. "Kim my dear, what have you done?" He teased as he picked his little dude up into his arms, causing his pants to fall down in the process.

Kim laughed wholeheartedly as she saw a little Jack in Marcus's arms, wearing nothing but red underwear on the lower part of his skinny body. Her mother joined in her laughter as she noticed the small tiff between the two kids, _so cute_.

"**Remember – whenever **_**I**_** get my hair cut, **_**your**_** pants will fall down!**!" Kim gave him an ultimatum.

* * *

Jack's mind drifted back to the present as he contemplated the thought of going all the way to Gardenia for _that_ Kim. God, he used to hate her so much when they were kids.

He sat on his bean-bag chair in front of his dressing table mirror, determined to never go to Gardenia. "Not today, not ever." He said to no one in particular but himself. "And especially not for that _crybaby_ Kim."

"God, stupid Kim. She was such a wild cat! I bet she's even more feisty now. Who knows what unlucky guy is having to marry her." His monologue to himself was interrupted as he heard his name being called out to him by his father, his basketball being thrown at his face. Having quick reflexes, Jack turned around in time to grip the ball in his hands.

"So. You've decided then." His father said as he sat on the corner of his king sized bed beside him. "You're not going."

"No way Dad. Never."

* * *

Jack and Milton arrived at the airport of Gardenia the next early morn', and Jack admired his surroundings as he took in how beautiful the city really was. Milton was just about to fetch for a taxi, but was halted midway when he heard Jack's voice.

"Screw the taxi, and run!" Jack called out behind him as he jogged towards a bus driving in front of him. It was so cool-looking to him. It ran on wheels, but yet its exterior was like a choo-choo train. _I am SO getting on one of those_.

As both friends climbed aboard the moving bus, they sat in two empty seats by the open window. Jack settled himself in, and remembered his father's words that convinced him to come to Gardenia.

* * *

_Flashback (Jack POV) _

"_Jack, I want you to run an errand for me there – think of it as your first salary." _

"_What do you mean Dad?" _

"_Look. Kim's getting married, and I want to give her parents some financial aid. But they're not agreeing." _

"_So basically you want me to convince them to say yes." _

"_Exactly. If you can get a 'yes' out of either the mother or the daughter, 50,000 dollars is yours, and you're free to go to Bangkok, all bank cards inclusive." _

_END Flashback_

* * *

While Jack was busy pondering about his reason for coming to Gardenia, Kim was doing the same, riding her bike through the bright streets of the beautiful town. Except the difference was, what she was pondering about had to do with Brett Adams, and the conversation she had with him yesterday night.

* * *

_Flashback (Kim POV) _

_Brett: "I'll be waiting for your answer tomorrow at noon. At Snow Castle." _

_End Flashback_

* * *

She cycled on as she thought of his words. He wanted to meet her to know her answer – her 'yes or no' as he termed it - to know if she likes him the way he likes her. To know whether she really does approve of their new relationship. What a gentleman. He seemed so charming, yet poised. It was all so thrilling and exciting to her. But what would she say when he came in front of her? She was getting so giddy and nervous just thinking of coming face to face with the man she saw in the photo, how would she able to keep her cool and not act like a little fangirl?

"Man, I should've done some research on him." _Maybe at least checked his facebook or something?_

* * *

Milton looked at his ipad in his hands in heavy concentration. He squinted his eyes as he attempted to get past the boss level on the game he was playing. However, his mind had an internal freak out when he felt his iPad being snatched out of his hands. He looked to his left to see Jack pressing his finger on the screen, exiting the app to go to the Safari web browsing app.

"Hey! What'd you do that for?"

"Research, my friend." Jack answered with a smile as he logged in to facebook. "What name did Dad say again?" He knew it was Kim, but he didn't know her full name. He mused, trying to think hard as he started to type into the facebook search bar, "Kimberly….Anne…Crawford."

He impatiently looked at his profile photo, which was on the home page. Why wouldn't the page load faster? He couldn't wait to see how she looked. _I bet she's still the same – those blonde pigtails and crybaby face. _But Jack was in for a shocker when her profile began to load onto the screen. His eyes almost shot out of his sockets at the sight of her photo, clicking on it to further enlarge the image. Completely absorbed into her beauty, his eyes softened as he looked on at the picture. It was a candid shot of Kim on a small rowboat, her hair blowing in the wind as she looked away from the camera. He just couldn't tear his infatuated eyes away from her – she had these big, beautiful eyes, and blonde hair that shone like… well, he couldn't describe it. And then her face! It was round, yet so _beautiful_.

He had finally found her.

A ghost of a smile played on his lips as he pulled out his ringing phone from his pocket in his jeans, not wavering his gaze away from her profile picture. "Hey Dad, yeah I'm here." His smile turned into a wide grin as he continued to admire Kim on his screen, "Get ready to hear that yes. Now the mother or the daughter just needs to come in front of your son just once, Dad." He told his father confidently. Then it was bye-bye Gardenia, and hello Bangkok.

Jack felt his body hurl slightly forward as he began to continue talking to his dad on his phone. The bus had halted to a stop, courtesy of a traffic light. Kim's bike had also halted to a stop as she pressed her hands on her brakes to stop at the stoplight… in the lane right next to the bus. Unaware of who was sitting inside, she stared blankly out in front of her, impatient to get to Snow Palace to finally be face to face with Brett. She couldn't be late – it would make the worst first impression ever.

As he leisurely looked out his open window, Jack's eyes immediately became wide in shock, his jaw dropping at the sight before him. A girl with blonde hair sat on a pink and white bike, parked at the stoplight in the lane right beside him. "Dad, hold on a second." The hand that was held to his ear subconsciously dropped to his side as he turned his attention towards the beautiful girl before him. Mesmerized by her beauty, he gazed at her as she blankly stared out at the road in front of her. Jack blinked his eyes back, unable to believe his eyes. He looked back at the screen on his friend's iPad he was holding in his hands – the photo of Kim was still present. She looked even more beautiful in person! A flashback of an image of a crybaby Kim flashed into his mind, and he snapped his head back towards the Kim that was before him, sitting on her bike in the lane right next to him. He couldn't believe it – THAT was Kim? How was it possible? She grew up to be quite the looker.

He looked down at the picture once more. Same eyes, lips, hair, face complexion – everything! _That – that's HER! _Wow, she looked so much more beautiful in person. What were the chances that he'd see her right beside him right now!

The traffic light signaled green, and with that Kim stepped on her bike pedal, riding down the street to reach her destination.

Jack watched as Kim rode past the still bus he was sitting in. Her bike had already went down the street, but the bus hadn't moved an inch, due to the trafficking cars in front of their lane.

He couldn't let her get away. She was his ticket to Bangkok. Plus, a part of him was smitten and intrigued by her. Not wanting to waste another second, he jumped out of his seat and out the bus in pursuit of her. His friend's appalled cries for him as he jumped out went unnoticed by him as he ran down the traffic roads, chasing after her.

* * *

Kim parked her bike outside, and gracefully entered the open courtyard of the palace. Jack also entered shortly after, following in her footsteps, his right hand gripped onto the shoulder strap of his black and red backpack-duffel bag hanging on his right shoulder. A smile played on his lips as he walked through the corridors of the palace, confident and determined that it wasn't long now until he found her. He caught sight of her ahead of him, and he grinned as he walked a few feet behind her.

As he entered into another open corridor, he lost sight of her. He walked on as he took in his surroundings, his eyes searching for the girl he had just seen moments ago. He turned around, looking all around to see a glimpse of her again. But she was nowhere to be seen. How could she just disappear like that.

* * *

"Once upon a time, there was a man named Prince Leo, and a woman named Princess Olivia." The tourist guide started as a crowd of intrigued tourists began to form before him, intrigued to know about the castle. Some say it was history, some a legend – a story. Nonetheless, it was a story that led to boundless love. "They were friends ever since they were wee little children. Friends… yet enemies." The guide told them, a storytelling narrative tone apparent in his voice. "Whether there was hatred between them, or love… neither could they understand, nor could anyone else." The man telling the story began to cough a couple times, interrupting the flow, and then began again. "Every time – " However, the phlegm in his throat was getting the best of him, causing him to cough more violently now, unable to continue the story. The man heard Kim's voice beside him as she offered to tell the story instead, and for him to go rest. He gladly complied, leaving Kim to tell the rest of the story to the tourists that had taken much interest in the palace and its story.

"Prince Leo loved to annoy Princess Olivia. But Princess Olivia? She was a fighter. She always gave it back to him. Time played its toll, and both of them grew up. Princess Olivia was to be wed – suitors from far away lands came to ask for her hand in marriage. A ceremony was held in which Princess Olivia was to choose her suitor that she would like to marry. And Prince Leo? He turned up _uninvited_ to the ceremony!"

Jack noticed a crowd gathering in front of the outdoor water fountain in the courtyard. Intrigued, he pushed past people as he heard a sweet voice telling some sappy story of a prince and a princess. Jack stood behind a couple people in front of him, keenly listening on, trying to get a glimpse of the girl who the voice belonged to.

"Then Prince Leo defeated all the other suitors, and emerged out of the crowd, and asked Princess Olivia as he stood in front of her – "

"Yes or no?"

Kim turned around to hear a deep male voice, and her jaw dropped in response, shocked at seeing Jack in front of her. Or rather, in her perspective… _Brett_. She was tongue-tied, speechless. She didn't know what to say. It was all so exciting, just like she imagined in her dreams. Her prince, Mr. Right coming out of the crowd and asking her to marry her. A smile crept up on her lips as she looked down at the ground, hot blush apparent on her cheeks. She knew it was totally unrealistic and cliché, and never expected in her life that Brett would ever have the charm or guts to do something like this. He seemed quite shy and poised when she had talked to him last night.

"So what did Princess Olivia say?" A young woman from the crowd interrupted their moment, eager to know more about the story. Little did she know that the story was a parallel to the story that Jack and Kim would soon share.

Kim was jolted out of her reverie as she heard the voice of the tourist and looked up at Jack, who was also expecting an answer. She looked at the tourist as she answered back, "Oh, I won't tell you _that. _You'll find your answer to _that_ question in the walls of this palace. Where the story of Prince Leo and Princess Olivia is etched. So go on, find your answer."

Jack looked at Kim as she cleverly answered the tourist, without giving a clear answer to him. _Impressive. Beauty with brains. _His gaze didn't waver from her face as people started to scatter and roam around the different halls and passages of the palace. Both individuals stood in place – Kim awkwardly stood, fidgeting with her fingers, while Jack had an intense gaze on her, unwavering. Moments passed, and she stole glances at him from time to time as he looked at her.

Realizing the latter was not budging, Jack took his red duffel backpack off his shoulders and set it on the ground by his right leg. "So tell me – yes or no?"

Kim bashfully smiled as Jack looked at her, expecting her answer. _Oh, I'm not giving in that easy._ "You can find your answer in the walls." She told him, giving the same answer she had given to the tourist moments ago.

"I don't have time to go look in those walls for my answer." He wittingly replied with a smirk. "I've come here with a challenge, Kim. And I'm not leaving without an answer."

Kim was taken aback by his nature. She'd never met someone who was as head to head or stubborn as she was. Maybe her mother was right – maybe her Mr. Right was like her.

He asked again, "Yes or no?"

She felt like melting at the sound of his deep voice. It was so soothing, so charming. Like straight out of a fairytale. Nervous, she began to look up, down, left, right, anywhere but at his intense gaze on her. Jack noticed Kim starting to fidget with her fingers as he continued to look at her.

"_YES." _

It felt like her voice echoed throughout the whole palace; but more importantly, it echoed into the ears of the person that mattered the most – Brett. A successful smile played on Jack's lips as he heard her answer, feeling triumphant at his accomplishments. Doves and other beautiful species of birds began to soar in the air near them as the duo peered at each other.

A relieved look flashed across Kim's face as she finally said the word. It felt so good – no more tension, it was out in the open. He finally knew how she felt. And she knew by their conversation last night, he felt the same way.

She then noticed the bag by Brett's legs – "Where are you going with this bag?"

"Your home, of course." _Wasn't it obvious? Where else would he go? _

Kim immediately began to blush red hot at the thought of Brett coming to her home to take her away to his home. She thought of his words as a romantic metaphor to their future relationship. Unable to contain her happiness, she gracefully fled the courtyard, disappearing down into the corridor in front of her. Jack watched in a surprised manner as she fled away from him, blushing in a shy manner. Why was she acting like some shy Disney princess? "What's there to shy about?" He questioned aloud.

He brought the phone he had in his right hand up to his ear, as his father was still on the other line. "Did you hear Kim's 'yes', Dad?"

"Yes, my son. I heard it." Marcus answered on the other line, as he stood near his extravagant, lavish bookcase, a book in hand. "Now go and give the money to Serena. But pray tell, how exactly did you get such a stubborn girl to say yes?"

"There's something called _charm_ Dad – which your son has loads of." Jack replied to his father as he picked up his duffel bag off the ground and put it on his right shoulder. "Make sure my first paycheck is ready for me," he told Marcus confidently. "Love you, bye." Jack bid his father adieu as he walked down the corridor that Kim had bashfully fled down moments before.

* * *

**Looks like Kim has gravely misunderstood Jack for Brett. Will Jack ever be able to read in between the lines and learn the truth? And if so, what will he do about it? **

**FINALLY DONE. PHEWW. I cannot tell you guys how many times I wrote, re-wrote, and edited. I do hope it was worth the wait for y'all. Don't forget to let me know what you thought through a review? Favourite part? Personally, I heartily enjoyed writing Kim's confession scene of saying yes. Gave me quite a cinematic feel. :)**

**5+ reviews for the next chapter! :)**

* * *

**Next time on BOUNDLESS:  
**

**Kim and Grey stood on a cruise. **

**"By the way, whose idea was it to have a cruise party for New Years'?" Kim asked. **

**"Who else could it be, Liv?" Grey said, about to say Jack's name.  
**

**Kim peered at the entry door, oblivious to the real Brett's presence. The man that caught _her _eye was the man behind Brett Adams - her perception of Brett Adams - Jack Anderson. She smiled at the sight of Jack walking through behind Brett. **


	4. Behind the Mask

**Hey guys! So I've had to change the story to kick because fanfiction has emailed me saying that leolivia story isn't allowed so my account might get suspended. so I've made a separate blog for the leolivia version if anyone's interested. Just pm me and I'll send you the link if you prefer to read it with leolivia. **

**Chapter 4: Behind the Mask**

* * *

A couple days passed by, and Kim's misunderstanding of mistaking Jack for Brett grew stronger. Incidents kept happening that allowed it so. While Kim got more and more attracted to Jack, Jack hung out with his cousins in the city. He was enjoying the Gardenia life for his father, since it was a wish of his. He even got a hold of a big open Jeep that belonged to the local bully's – The DUDE of Gardenia, as his father called it.

Not only did he manage to fulfill his father's wish, Jack was able to organize a cruise party for New Years'. His cousins told him they usually just watched movies and ate pastries, and he decided to do something new, exciting - something ROCKING.

Kim, Grey, and their friends stepped board onto the cruise where the New Years' Party was to be held this evening. It was all so exciting – Gardenia had never hosted a cruise party before! Usually, they just ate finger food and watched movies on their terrace, but this year was different. It was also Kim's farewell party, as Brett was going to take Kim to his home in Sutherland after they got married.

Her friends looked around them in awe as they walked on. Red and white balloons everywhere, matching streamers, the décor was beautiful, to say the least! Just like you would see in those movies and teen TV shows.

"By the way, whose idea was this whole cruise party thing?" Kim asked her younger sister, whispering into her ear as the music was blaring quite loud.

"Kimmyyy_…_ who else could it be?" Grey perked up, proud of Jack for thinking of such an awesome idea. He was so cool! "J-"

However, Jack's name was drowned out by the voice of the male DJ speaker on the P.A. He spoke with a loud, bellowing voice, "LADIES AND GENTLEMAN." Kim turned her attention towards the sound of the DJ's voice as he spoke, "PLEASE WELCOME OUR SPECIAL GUEST FOR TONIGHT – MR. BRETT ADAMS!"

Kim blatantly ignored Brett as he walked in through the entrance. Her eyes were searching for a familiar bout of brown, chestnut hair and those charming eyes of his. Seeing her version of Brett walk in right behind the real Brett Adams, her face grew ecstatic, a shy smile appearing on her lips. He strode in in style, wearing a yellow blazer on top of a blue shirt, her favourite colour. Kim's heart filled with happiness as she saw him enter the venue with the flamboyant way he carried himself, towards his friend.

The party now went in full swing; everyone had masquerade masks on their faces, dancing the night away. Kim ascended the stairs on the cruise to the upper deck, where all the fun was. She looked around her as numerous couples were dancing on their feet. Suddenly, she felt a tug on her wrist, and was whipped around into someone's arms. She looked up to see a yellow-masked man holding her in a dance stance, his arm around her waist and his right hand clasped in hers. Kim could recognize those eyes anywhere – Brett, her fiancé. They always twinkled with this charm and mischievousness she fantasized about in her dreams.

Jack's smile on his face deepened into a grin as he looked at the purple-masked cute girl in his arms. He was waiting for her to come up here – took long enough. Jack twirled her around as her back became flushed to his chest. He then lowered her, taking her for the dip.

Kim's eyes sparkled with happiness as she danced with him. However, it was short-lived. He suddenly let go of her and started to dance with two other girls at the same time right in front of her, just like he had with her.

A pang of jealousy formed in her heart and anger filled her nostrils as she watched him dance with those bimbos. They were practically throwing themselves at him, and he was enjoying it! How could he! He was her fiancé, for heavens' sake.

Jack watched in surprise, and his smile faltered as he noticed Kim leaving the dance floor while he was dancing with his ladies. He'd never gotten _that _reaction before.

* * *

Kim sat on a small rowboat near the cruise, away from all the noise and loud blaring music. Upset, she thought about how those two girls were twirled around in his arms, Brett pulling them to his chest. She rolled her eyes, remembering how he swayed his hips to and fro with those girls. To say a _tinge _of jealousy arose… was an understatement.

Jack got onto the small rowboat and sat beside Kim, facing her. "What are you doing here?"

"What's it to you?" She snapped back rudely as she faced him.

"You're right, what's it to me." Jack watched as she rolled her eyes in return and faced the other way. She was so cute when she was angry, her nose flared with anger. Even when she's angry, she's beautiful.

"You're beautiful," he said to himself. Sure, he's called numerous girls in London 'hot' before, but beautiful? For him, it took on a whole new meaning – beauty inside and out. However, Kim turned her head towards him as she heard those words. Did he say that out loud?

"Oh. So _now_ you've found the time to notice me." She was miffed. If he thinks he can butter her up with a couple sweet compliments, then Mr. Charming, he was gravely mistaken!

He didn't understand why she was so upset. What did he do? "What do you mean?"

She couldn't take it anymore. He was _so _playing dumb on purpose – as if he didn't know! "You left me all alone and started dancing with those other girls!" Kim burst out.

Jack watched her roll her eyes angrily at him and face the other way. He slightly chuckled, "Jealous?"

"I'm not jealous!" Kim immediately defended herself. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction. Plus, she wasn't _jealous! _How incredulous. She looked down at the ground as Jack continued to gaze at her. "I just wanted this New Years' to be special. With you."

Jack looked away as he realized that she was being so serious. She was so clingy as if she was in love. He was just having some harmless fun with her. Nothing serious at all. He nervously tugged on his shirt.

Awkward moments of silence passed between them as both individuals nervously stole glances at each other. Kim looked at the boy in front of her as he constantly avoided her gaze – _Mr. Brett is avoiding me as if I bite. _

"Have you ever fallen in love?"

Jack looked into her eyes as she popped the question. "Love is the biggest misconception that people have. Because of which people live their entire lives in an illusion." _Love? Pfffft, it doesn't exist. _

And the clash of minds had already begun. Jack's ideology of love was completely opposite to Kim's.

"I'm leaving." Irritated with his ideology and not wanting to burst something out that she would have to regret later, she got up from her seat in a hurry. However, she immediately began to topple over, and felt herself falling over the boat. Jack immediately grabbed a hold of her, snaking his arms around her waist.

Kim felt Jack pull her towards his chest as she was tumbling forward, and suddenly opened her eyes wide to find him holding her by her waist, looking into her eyes. "Bretttt!" She immediately yelled as she felt herself being pulled towards him. Kim grabbed a hold of his shoulders to balance herself as she looked into her eyes and he looked into hers. Both of them couldn't tear their eyes away from each other as Jack held her tighter, his arms wrapped around her waist. Countless lanterns floated above them as the duo shared an eyelock moment between them. Kim lowered her gaze as Jack continued to gaze into her eyes, still mesmerized.

The clock struck 12, signaling the start of 2014, the New Year. A new beginning, a new journey – of boundless love had begun. Fireworks erupted in the sky above them. "LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! WELCOME TO 2014!" The D.J. on the speaker announced as Kim raised her eyes to look into his eyes once more. She felt as if she could look into his eyes boundlessly.

Coming back to her senses and that there was a party going on in full swing in a cruise nearby the little rowboat they were standing on, Kim pulled away from Jack's hold on her. "Brett, we should get back to the party." She avoided his gaze as she turned away from him and carefully got out of the small boat.

_What just happened?_ Jack had never acted that way before. Sure, he'd help a girl from falling, but look into her eyes as if he was in love? No way! And did he hear her right? She called him Brett! As in Brett, her fiancé. _She thinks __I'm__ her fiancé? _He recalled moments ago when Kim called him Brett as he held onto her, and then numerous moments where he started to recall Kim's blushing reactions with him.

_Flashback POV (JACK POV)_

_At Snow Palace: _

_"So tell me – yes or no?" _

_"YES." _

_At Kim's home:_

_Kim kept sending me signals through the stain glass window in the dining room to eat the casserole she made. _

_All the interactions that I had with Kim for the past couple of days flashed through my mind in a flourish, just like a fast-paced movie. From the most recent one where Kim was in my arms, to the dance on the cruise, to all those flirty signals she was giving him while he stayed at her home, to the time he saw her on her bike for the first time._

_END FLASHBACK_

* * *

Jack came up the stairs to the upper deck of the cruise, walking on the floor, minding his own business. However, his footsteps passing through the crowd of people stopped as he felt a harsh hand on his shoulder. He turned around to see a man looking at him. He looked about his age, and observed him as he looked him up and down, scrutinizing Jack.

"Thank you. For saving my fiancé. I'm Brett." Brett saw Jack and Kim together on the boat, and as per his attitude towards Jack, he was clearly affected by their close proximity. Hence, he wanted to clear up that Kim was _his_ fiancé.

Jack's lips curved upwards at his words. He playfully slapped his shoulder. "Ah, so _you're_ Brett. And no need for a thank you. It was my duty. I would've done the same thing for any other girl." Brett observed him as Jack sent him a gleaming smile, as if he had done nothing wrong.

Brett suddenly turned his face towards Kim as he saw her stand beside him. However, she hadn't come for him. "Shall we?" She urged Jack.

"Sure." He grinned in a mischievous manner as he punched his shoulder playfully once again, and left the deck with Kim. "Take care buddy."

* * *

"Want to know a secret?" Jack leisurely sat on the indoor swing bench, sipping on his coffee, while Milton sat across from him, coffee mug in hand. "For Brett, Kim is his fiancé. But for Kim, Brett isn't her fiancé."

"Huh?" Okay, he was just plain confused. Does that even make any sense? Sometimes, he just doubts whether being best friends with Jack really was the 'best' decision he ever made in pre-school. Milton set down the coffee mug on the coffee table in front of him. "Hold on a second."

Jack watched with quirked eyebrows and a large smirk on his lips as his friend tried to make reason out of his words. "For Brett, Kim is his fiancé, but for Kim, Brett isn't her fiancé? But then bro, who does Kim take her fiancé for?" This was just mind-boggling to him. And he's supposed to be the smart one.

Stretching his hand back towards his neck, he leaned backwards into the cushioned swing. He gestured towards himself with a smug smirk on his face. "Me."

"Wh-what? You - ?" Milton immediately got up from his seat and sat beside Jack on the swing. "You got _engaged _to Kim?" He couldn't believe this. The guy who can't even have a steady girlfriend got _engaged?! _Wasn't _he_ the one who totally crashed his wedding saying he was gonna make the biggest mistake of his life, and now he just went behind his friend's back and got engaged?!"When did _this_ happen?"

"Shut up!" He immediately barked in return, taking his hand out from behind his neck down on the seat on the swing. Engagement… and _him_? No way in hell! He angrily sat upright from the swing, no longer leaning onto it. "I'm gonna get engaged with Kim?" _Yeah right._ "She thinks I'm Brett. I don't know why, but she does." He explained to his best friend as he sipped on his coffee, bringing the mug to his lips.

"Ohhhhh." The light bulb finally lit in Milton's head. "I get it. So all those signals the other day she was sending you… they weren't even for you, they were for Brett!" He laughed, _oh this is rich._ "And you thought she was into _you!" _As Jack continued to sip on his coffee as if this was no big deal at all (in fact he was really getting a kick out of this), Milton told him that he should tell the truth to Kim, and clear up this whole misunderstanding. "…Or else there'll be a serious case of gate-crashing. And gate-crashing is _dangerous_."

Jack stretched his arm around the back of his neck again as he leisurely leaned back into the swing once more. "I _love_ gate-crashing, bro." A sly smile appeared on his lips as he mischievously looked at his friend beside him.

Milton looked at Jack as if he had four eyes. His best friend was definitely cooking something up in that mind of his. "What do you mean? What are you planning?"

"Just some fun for 24 hours." He got up from the swing, coffee mug in hand. "She annoyed me so much when we were kids." He walked on ahead, his mischievous plan already starting to form in his mind. He leaned his elbow on the pillar beside him, "Now how can I let this chance go? Just wait and watch the fun." _Revenge was going to be sweeeet._

* * *

The sun rose early the next morning, signaling the start of a new day in Gardenia. Brett's parents were to come over for lunch today, and Kim's mother told them she would be making trifle for dessert, a rare delicacy for the people of Gardenia. However, there was just one problem. They had no custard to make it, and it was fresh sold out in the market. That being said, Kim always had a solution for every problem. Commanding her mother to go rest and not take worry, she went into the kitchen to make her own version of trifle instead.

Brett's parents arrived early to lunch, and beads of sweat started to form on Serena and Chuck Crawford's foreheads as they welcomed them, apprehensive towards how Kim's trifle would turn out. In a teasing manner, they mentioned how one of the main reasons they came was to taste the trifle.

Kim observed how tense her parents were getting. "Wow, Mom and Dad are so worried over his parents, and the man doesn't even know that his parents are here!" She exclaimed to herself, commenting about Brett's carelessness.

* * *

Jack bent his arms down to do another push-up in the courtyard. Firm lines of concentration appeared on his face as he constantly breathed in and out, conditioning his muscles as he worked out under the scorching heat of the Sun. As Jack continued to work out, Kim continued to prepare the trifle that Brett's parents would eat.

Just on the verge of completing his 50th pushup, Jack stopped moving his body downwards midway, the aroma of white chocolate filling his nostrils. He sniffed to try to decipher what that smell was, it was distracting, but in a good way. He could no longer concentrate on his pushup. Milton, who was sitting beside him snacking on some chips, was surprised to see him leaving his workout midway and heading inside. He never did that before. "Hey wait, where you going dude?"

Putting the finishing touches on her delicious dish, Kim had finally made her trifle. And boy, did it look good. She just hoped Brett's parents would like it.

* * *

Jack walked through the living room towards the kitchen, when out of the corner of his eye he noticed a man and a woman seated on the couch, along with Serena and Chuck who were sitting on chairs near them. Deciding to be courteous, he tried to remember which hand you were supposed to bow from, according to tradition. Brett's mother briefly looked at him as he bowed with his left hand, and was surprised. Not only at his gesture, but also at his attitude and appearance as he left the area to proceed to the kitchen. Who was that boy, he didn't look like he was from around here at all.

He continued to wander through the corridor, his eyes searching for the object that that delicious smell was coming from. The sight of Kim putting nuts on some kind of white coloured dish caught his eye, and he slowed his pace as he approached her. Jack sat himself down on the counter near her, his legs dangling off the edge. However, Kim was oblivious to his presence.

Hearing the familiar sound of Jack's charming voice, Kim abruptly turned around to see him sitting on the counter near her. "Is that _your_ aroma, or is something else cooking?"

Her lips curved upwards into a smile. "This aroma distracted me from my workout." Blush appeared on her cheeks at his words. She faced the large bowl of trifle inside it as it lay on the counter, putting the last final touches on it. "I made trifle. I was just going to you so you could taste it." She put a spoon in the bowl, and then faced him once again.

"So let's have it then."

Happiness filled her as she turned away to take some trifle out of the serving bowl and place it inside a smaller one for Brett. She suddenly felt the close proximity of him to her back, and from the periphery of her eyes she noticed how close Jack was to her. There was minimal space between them as he came even closer, his chest becoming nearly flush with her back, and his eyes peering at the bowl in her hands that was on the counter.

A charming smile played on his lips as Kim awkwardly turned around to face him. The only thing that was blocking the space between them was the bowl filled with trifle – the reason he had come to her in the first place. As Jack moved closer towards her taking a step forward, Kim took a step back, urging the bowl towards him. Both individuals repeated their actions continuously, until Jack cornered her, her back hitting the marble counter he had sat on moments ago. His face came dangerously close to hers as he gazed on, and Kim in return tried her best to back away, blushing from their proximity with each other. However, the fact was that she was trapped. There was no way out it seemed.

"Brett! Your parents – "

Jack immediately pulled back, creating distance between them. His face dropped in horror at the thought of Jack's actual parents seeing them together - all hell would break loose. He however became surprised at the sound of Kim's laughter as his face was filled with worry. _Ha-ha_. _Very funny._ He looked at her as she put her bowl on the marble counter and openly laughed.

"By the way, do you bow with your right hand or your left?"

What a random question. Plus, didn't he live in Sutherland? She'd heard that place was even more conservative and traditional than Gardenia. "You live in _Sutherland. _And you don't even know _that?_" She was seriously questioning his upbringing, not to mention his intelligence.

He stuttered slightly as his cover was slightly on the verge of being blown. "Uh, I know that. I was just testing your knowledge that's all – "

"Hey. I'll have you know my upbringing and manners are quite rooted, FYI. And by the way, you bow with your right hand." She did a little demo for him, bending downwards to bow with her right hand.

"Here ya go." She handed him a small bowl filled with trifle and a spoon inside.

Jack gladly took the bowl in his hands as he eagerly began to eat out of it with the spoon. He relished the morsel of food in his mouth. It was beyond delicious. Quite possibly the best dessert he'd ever tasted. "SUPERB!"

Her face lit up at Jack's remark, her eyes wide with happiness. "Really? So your mom and dad _will_ like it, won't they?" She was still nervous about how tasty his parents would think of her dessert.

"Of course." He continued to eat out of the bowl like no tomorrow. He looked up and raised his eyes at her as a devilish smirk appeared on his lips, "Got a lot planned out for you. Be ready."

Moments passed by, and Jack continued to silently eat out of the delicious bowl of trifle. This stuff was good, gotta say! One thing's for sure, the girl knew how to cook.

He quirked his eyebrows at her as he noticed that she was looking at him in a weird manner. Was there something on his face? Why was she looking at him like that?

Kim responded by pointing her index finger at his face, and then pointing it towards the right side of her lip. Jack acknowledged what she was trying to say, and touched his lip to find white liquid residue on the pad of his finger. She smiled at the same, but was surprised when he started to use her scarf she had wrapped around her neck to wipe the remains of trifle on his lips. She lowered her gaze as he continued to wipe in a sexy manner. How did he always manage to get under her skin? Surely, he'd be the death of her soon.

* * *

However, one person was not happy about this at all. Appalled, Brett's mother watched in horror, her jaw dropped at the sight before her – Jack using Kim's scarf to wipe his mouth? Oh heavens, how uncultured and uncivilized. She was to be wed in a week, and yet the girl had the audacity to go flaunt herself at other boys? This called for a change of plans.

* * *

**Next time on Boundless:  
**

Jack and Kim are in a restaurant, and suddenly the cops turn up at their table. They claim to arrest 'Brett' for illegal misdeeds. Clearly, Jack defends himself by saying he isn't Brett, but Kim insists that he is indeed Brett.

Kim has figured out Jack's little scheme, and played a prank on him. She warns him to not cross her path as she is getting married in 7 days, and she wants no screw-ups from him.


	5. Piercing the Veil

**Hello guys! Thank you for all the love for boundless! It honestly makes me so happy when y'all put in your thoughts about the chapter – Lets me know you guys are really connecting with the characters in the story, and love reading it as much as I do writing it, hehe. Seriously my inbox is flooding with messages from yall, almost as much as hearts united ;) **

**Here's the sitch. I started my summer term for college on Monday the 5th. Hence, my updates are gonna be slow again – but I am trying my best to update whenever I get a chance, please bare with me.**

* * *

**Chapter 5: Piercing the Veil**

The next afternoon, Kim and Jack stood by the lake, leaning on the balcony. A lamppost was situated beside them, creating ambience.

"So. What are your thoughts?" He inched closer to her, a charming smile playing across his lips. "About our future together?"

Kim lowered her gaze towards the ground as fresh blush crept on her cheeks, and Jack silently snickered as she gave a reply. _Man, this was like taking candy from a baby! _ "I haven't really thought about it yet. But I will. We will – together."

* * *

The duo walked on the bridge above the lake, engaging in small talk as they got to know each other better. Or so Kim thought.

"Natalie, Eleanor, Kimmy, and Courtney. They're my neighbours, _and_ my best friends."

"So… you get along with everyone then." Jack said. Being the polite guy he was, he took interest in what she had to say. Plus, he actually enjoyed talking to her when she wasn't being totally irritating and annoying.

"Yeah!" An irritated expression crossed her face. "Well, except for one person."

"And who's that?"

"Oh just _someone_." She couldn't even take his name – he was THAT annoying. She hated him. "Thank the _Lord_ he's not in Gardenia."

"So then where is he?" He took more interest in her words. Confused, Jack was intrigued to find out who exactly she was referring to.

"In London. He's Marcus's son." Even though Jack didn't ask for a clarification as to who Marcus was, she did it anyway, on the verge of a rant of the boy she was referring to. He irked her to the core. "Oh, Marcus is really close with my mom. He's kinda like the Uncle I never had in a way. I call him Mark for short – that's my nickname for him. Anyways, his son's name is Jack Anderson."

Jack excitedly smiled like a young child as she mentioned his name. Mistaking her excitement of talking about himself for irritation, his jaw dropped and eyes widened when she told him that he was the biggest loser ever.

_Loser?! Oh, why I oughta – I'll show you loser! _"L-loser?" He stammered, appalled that she had such a horrible image in her mind of him. "Why's that?" He stopped his footsteps, and faced his body towards her, trying his best to confine his anger in his chest. His blood was boiling at Kim's attitude.

Kim chuckled in return. "Well, a loser is a loser. He doesn't need a reason to be one. And Jack? He's so – " She was just about to explain how he was the biggest loser to roam this earth, but was immediately interrupted.

"Okay enough." Jack immediately lost his cool, and was no longer his charming, flamboyant self. He was irritated. How dare she! _I'm _a loser? Has she _looked_ at herself? "I'm gonna go get something to eat." He grumbled, angrily striding down the bridge away from her.

What happened to _him? It's not like I was talking about him_.

* * *

"Oh. So all this time, she thinks I'm a _loser_." He muttered, talking to no one in particular but himself as he walked along the path towards the food stalls nearby. "Alright fine. I'm gonna teach her a lesson she'll never forget." His angry cheek lines relaxed, feeling bad for the prank he'd been playing on her. "But she _is_ a crybaby. I'll tell her the truth afterwards." No matter how impulsive Jack was by nature, he was a good man at heart. And he never breaks his promises, especially the ones he makes to himself.

* * *

The manager of a five-star restaurant approached Jack as he walked in, smiling at Kim walking with him. "Welcome to our hotel Mr. Brett Adams."

"Thank you," Jack replied curtly, acknowledging his greeting.

"Right this way, sir."

As Jack and Kim walked towards their table, Kim noticed how extravagant and grandeur the place really was. "Mr. Brett, you've brought me to the most expensive restaurant in Gardenia."

"Anything for you." He casually said, walking around her to pull back her seat in a courteous fashion, just like a true gentleman. Kim smiled in return at his gesture as she gladly took a seat, and Jack sat on his own seat across her.

He looked at her as Kim smiled at him. She looked so happy. He played fiddled with the decorative piece on the table as they sat in moments of comfortable silence. She was surprised when Jack pulled out a rose from the decorative piece and brought it out in front of her. Her eyes drifted from the rose to Jack. How thoughtful. Kim watched as Jack's eyes drifted towards the rose in his hand, conveying her to take it. With a coy smile, she delicately grasped it at its stem, and looked down at the blooming rose.

She looked back up to hear Jack's charming voice. "How's it feel?"

"Really nice." Kim looked back down at the rose in her hands, twirling it by its stem. Jack watched her as a bashful smile formed on her lips, and her cheeks began to become red and blushing.

What Jack did next surprised her. The palm of his hand lay open in front of her on the table. She looked up at him in surprise, wondering about his actions.

"A dance?"

Her eyes widened at his words, and her mouth was slightly left agape. Dance? In the middle of a restaurant where people were eating and talking? In front of everyone? There wasn't even any music playing!

"Here?" Her face showed hesitation about accepting his offer.

"So what? C'mon."

Kim immediately shook her head left and right, declining. "_C'mon,"_ he said it slower this time, urging her to put her hand in his.

"Okay." Giving in, she softly placed her hands in his. The duo got up from their seats and walked around the table to come face to face with one another. Jack brought her body closer to his own as he clasped his right hand into hers, and delicately wrapped his left arm around her waist. Comfortable moments passed between them as they swayed to the music together.

Jack took a deep breath as he prepared himself. It was now or never – enough fooling around. "Kim, I wanted to tell you something."

"What is it?"

"Umm…" The words weren't coming out initially. But he braced himself – he had to do this for her. He couldn't keep her in the dark forever. "Kim, the thing is that I'm – " A harsh hand firmly grabbed his shoulder, startling him.

"Excuse me. Mr. Brett Adams?"

Jack let go of his hold around Kim, and turned around to face a sturdy-looking police officer. "Yes, that's me."

"You're under arrest."

His face widened with utter shock as he noticed three other police officers standing around him like he was the sheriff or something. "WHAT?! Arrest?"

"We've got information from the interpoll that you deal in black money from Sutherland." As the officer explained to him further that he had been fired from his job, Jack turned around to see a bewildered expression on Kim's face.

"What _is _all this, Mr. Brett?"

As Kim questioned him, he turned back around to face the officer again. His gaze on him was unwavering and strict. "Look, I'm – " Jack's face wandered towards the petite girl behind him. She didn't know he wasn't Brett, but Jack, his old childhood neighbor. His cover was definitely gonna be blown. But his whole life was at stake!

"I'm not Brett!" He turned back towards the officer and said in a whisper loud enough that the officer could hear, but could not reach Kim's ears.

"Ma'am. Did you not just call this man by 'Brett'?"

Jack turned towards Kim again. "Kim, I – I'm not Brett! Believe me – there's some confusion." However, he was taken aback when she raised her voice.

"Why are you lying, Mr. Brett?" Her face was no longer coy and shy. It reflected poise, yet a definite spunk. Something was off. Jack rolled his eyes in frustration as she asked him why the police was after him.

_I can't go to jail! _"Kim, I'm not lying! I'm your Mark's son, Jack!"

"WHAT?!" Jack watched as her pupils dilated with shock and her jaw dropped, her mouth left wide agape. "Just a few moments ago, I told you about Jack. And now you're calling yourself Jack."

_What? No no you've got it all wrong! You gotta believe me! _Jack couldn't take it anymore, he burst. He explained in a rapidly fast manner, saying all his words in one breath as if his life depended on it. His words were coming out of his mouth like the speed of light. "NO SERIOUSLY! IM JACK I'VE BEEN STAYING AT YOUR HOUSE FOR THE PAST TWO DAYS YOU THINK I'M BRETT I DON'T KNOW WHY BUT I'M REALLY JACK JACK ANDERSON WHO USED TO PLAY WITH YOU WHEN WE WERE LITTLE THE ONE WHO YOU HATED WHO YOU THOUGHT WAS THE STUPIDEST PERSON EVER AND THE SAME JACK WHO PUT CHEWING GUM IN YOUR HAIR!"

_Huff. Phew._ He was slightly out of breath. Midway his rant, his arms had flailed around, and Jack watched as a thin line was still across Kim's lips as he ranted. _Oh, c'mon on! _"Do you remember now?" His voice was full of desperate need. He just had to believe her, he couldn't go to jail! He didn't even do anything!

Jack watched like a confused soul as Kim put a hand on her hips, and her lips curved upwards into a smirk. "Of course I do." She told him smugly. "Because of which my hair got cut. And what I did after that caused your _pants_ to fall down."

Embarrased, Jack looked down at the ground, unable to meet her eyes. "Just like it has today." She concluded, enjoying his state.

Indeed, his face was so flushed, his mouth left agape – it really did look like 10-year-old Jack's pants had fallen down. Albeit HE was the one who called Kim a crybaby, but right now Jack was the one who looked like he wanted to go to his mommy.

He had nothing to say in rebuttal, and just listened as she asked him her next question. "Remember what I told you when we were little?"

His mind drifted to that forlorn memory in his mind.

_10-year-old Olivia: Whenever my hair gets cut,_

His flashback was interrupted by the sound of Kim's voice. He looked up at her as she finished his flashback for him. "YOUR pants will fall down, JACK ANDERSON!" She pointed her finger at him, _tit for tat_.

Jack could do nothing but watch that smirk on her face as she eyed him. He couldn't believe she could do something like this! He was wrong, she wasn't cute, she was a monster! How cruel, sending him off to jail just for a little fun? It was just some harmless fun! It's not like her wedding would be called off cause of him. And he was going to tell her the truth anyway.

Kim faced the so-called police officers as they snickered away at Jack's flustered state. He looked like he'd seen a ghost. "Thank you. All of you can leave now."

"Thank you Ms. Kim." The police officer that had reprimanded Jack at first replied curtly.

Jack looked at Kim for an explanation as they left the area. Her hands were crossed against her chest as that smirk still played on her lips. The smirk that _he _usually always had on _his_ lips.

"They were actors from the Gardenia theatre." She smugly replied. "But they're no less than Hollywood actors. I'm sure you've understood by now that our Gardenia is in no way less than your L.A."

Jack's eyes wandered around himself as Kim began to circle around him like a bad cop. "What. You thought you could drag this lie to however long you wanted, and I wouldn't even find out?" He found his ground as he inched closer to her, both individuals now face to face. "I'm God's child. And God never lets anything bad happen to me." Snapping her fingers three times in a row, "In just two minutes, God brought your bastardness and true colours in front of me."

She continued to narrate her story to Jack.

Flashback in narration: (italics – Kim's spoken narration to Jack) 

Kim was sitting on a bench waiting for Jack to finish eating. Her phone began to ring, and she pulled it out in front of her from her pocket. However, her eyes popped out of her sockets upon reading the caller ID – _Brett?! How is that possible? _She immediately wavered her eyes towards Jack who was eating a hot dog from a hot dog stand. If the person in front of her was Brett, then who the heck was calling her?

Hesitant, she nervously stood up on her two feet and brought the phone up to her ear. "H-Hello?"

"Mother was telling me that you make quite a mean dish of trifle." The real Brett told her. She had told his son about how Jack and Kim seemed to be more closer than usual, and Brett's seeding jealousy in his mind grew into a full-grown cactus plant.

"What do you mean your mother told you? You tasted it yourself." She replied cautiously.

"When did _I _taste it?"

Kim continued to gape at the Brett in front of her as her phone lingered in the air, away from her ear. _It was the real Brett's call. And yet, I still couldn't figure it out. Because Brett was eating a hot dog right in front of me. And then…_

The phone in her hands rang again, and her eyes immediately looked down at the caller ID. Swiftly picking it up, she spoke, "Mom?" Kim wanted to tell her mother about her confusion, but her mother intervened.

"Where are you and Jack? Do you know when you'll be coming home?" She asked her daughter in a casual manner.

"Jack? Who Jack?"

"Huh? What do you mean 'who Jack'? You're saying it as if you don't even know Jack." Serena rolled her eyes at her daughter's childish antics. Must be another prank between the two – when will those two ever grow up?

Kim's lips parted into a big O at the revelation. Her mother cleared up the confusion further. "You know, Mark's son." Her daughter didn't have amnesia, did she?

_Jack? Mark's son?_

_And then after I talked to Mom, all my misunderstandings had been cleared. _

Present: 

Kim smirked at him as Jack's lips parted in shock. "You think you're the only one with the scheming brain? You're the only clever one in the whole world?" Her rhetorical questions were clearly taunts sent his way.

Jack couldn't take it anymore. He'd had enough humiliation for one day. This was a real ego-hurter. How dare she! "So that means, you did all this JUST to show how CLEVER you are?!" _I could've gone to freaking JAILLL! _

"No." She told him decisively with a strong voice. "I _did it_ to show you that you could never win when we were little, and you never will now!"

"And what if the police that came here today were real? My whole life would've been ruined!"

"And what about the stunt you were pulling with me?! My life would've been all dandelions and roses, RIGHT!" She barked at him.

The two strong-headed individuals went at it with full force. Neither was backing down.

"Hey." Jack objected. "I didn't even do anything! And I was just gonna tell you the truth, remember when I told you I had to tell you something while we were dancing?"

_Yeah right. _"Oh really. YOU were gonna tell the truth." _Oh this is rich. _She rambled on like no tomorrow."And that too… through a _dance. _Rubbish! You were just hitting on me! And if God wasn't with me, then who knows how long you've stretched this lie for."

"Look. I've told you everything. Believe it or not." _Whatever. _Jack crossed his arms across his chest, giving her attitude.

However, Kim gave it right back to him. "I _don't _believe it." She said aggressively. "Happy now?"

He eyed her precariously as she glared at him profusely. The cute little lamb Kim was long gone, for Jack was now face to face with the ferocious, killer lamb version of Kim Crawford.

"Now YOU listen to me VERY CAREFULLY." She snapped her fingers in the process and pointed her index finger at him in a glaring manner. If looks could kill, he would be dead. But then again, he wasn't one to take shit from _her_. _Especially HER_. "In just a few days, I'm getting married. As long as you're here, DON'T come in my way." She declared to him in a dominating voice.

Jack peered at the aggressive girl before him as she brought her hand back to her hip. His mouth was left agape as she had the last word, and his eyes trailed her figure as she walked past him, out of the restaurant.

Jack Anderson had met his match after 15 long years. Now marked the beginning of a World War III. _Tom and Jerry Style._

* * *

**10+ reviews for the next chapter! **

**Next time on Boundless: **

It's Brett and Kim's engagement ceremony. According to an old Gardenia tradition, the groom supposedly is to feed a morsel of pastry to the bride with his own hands. Everything was going so perfectly. Will Kim eat the morsel of dessert fed by her future husband, or will Jack unknowingly, or knowingly, get in the way?


	6. The Heroic Villain

**Hello! Next update! Just a note, I already have all the chapters written out, so the more feedback = faster updates! ;) Thank you for reading and commenting. :)**

**AN: Originally for this story, I planned Joshua (remember from the prologue and a bit of chapter 2 that he is Jack's older brother) to have 2 wives. I then changed it cause I realized it wouldn't go well with you guys as readers, and a lot of you might not be happy with that. But I've been writing later chapters and have come to the conclusion that it is indeed important that he have 2 wives, as you'll later on realize in the story. This concept will play a pivotal part in Jack and Kim's relationship after they're married. So the next paragraph below is the gist of the whole 2 wife thing: **

**about 10 years before the start of the first chapter, joshua's second wife is a conniving biotch if you will, who was Joshua's secretary and manages to get joshua intoxicated and spend a night with him to get herself pregnant so that she can have a place in joshua's life, and hence also gain access to all the wealth and luxury that joshua has. This doesn't go down well with marcus, however joshua's mother katherine has no problems with this, as she always wanted a grandson (side note: Joshua's first wife already had 2 daughters). Joshua's first wife wasn't willing to let go of josua, and neither was joshua's second wife, who accused him of not taking responsibility of his actions. Thus, they go to court and he gains special legal permission as an exception to the law that you cannot marry twice.**

**It is important that both wives have equal rights on joshua, which leads joshua to always be stuck in the middle between the two. Also, jack lovingly calls the 2 wives, Miss World and Miss Universe. Joshua's first wife is named Natalie, while his second is Shania (pronounced as in Shania Twain). **

* * *

**Chapter 6: The Heroic Villain  
**

The next morning, Kim stood on her terrace, overlooking the busy street below her. Her sister was picking up her clothes from the clothesline, folding them and placing them into her basket.

"Urghh! I can't believe I thought that stupidddd Jack was actually Brett! God forbid," she cursed herself for the nth time that morning. "I could've mistaken Brett for some _decent _guy, but no!." Her younger sister chuckled at how easily Jack was getting under her skin. "I mean, JACK ANDERSON! The most irritating and ill-mannered boy in the whole world! Gah." She huffed, a pouting frown on her face.

"Wow Kim, your's and Jack's chemistry sure is weird," her sister teased as she listened on at her sister's rant. A smile played on her lips as she quirked her eyebrows at her elder sister.

"SHUT UP! THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO CHEMISTRY BETWEEN ME AND THAT LOSER!" Her blood boiled at the thought, her voice rising to no extent as she huffed over to her sister by the clothing line. Perhaps she was doing this in an attempt to convince _herself_ that there was no chemistry between her and Jack. "NEVER. REMEMBER THAT!"

She angrily strode over to the outdoor bench on the terrace, sitting down as her sister pacified her, not wanting her to get worked up even more. "Okay okay, whatever."

Grey sat down on the bench beside her sister as they both started to peel the potatoes in the tray on the bench. "You know, no one's gonna believe you if you tell the fam that Jack did this to you. They think he's a gem, A GEM!"

Kim angrily looked up at the mention of Jack being a gem. "Oh he's not a gem, he's a _buggg!_"

_There she goes again_. Grey quirked her eyebrow upwards. Boy, Jack sure could get her worked up all right.

"It's been 15 whole years, and he hasn't changed a bit! Just like when we were kids." Her mind drifted to a memory 15 long years ago.

* * *

_Jack and Kim stood across from each other. Their feet were planted firmly on the ground as they had a stare-down between them. Even when they were little they couldn't stand each other. Kim's mother stood in front of them as they glared each other down. "Kim, give the present you brought to Jack." She told her daughter. _

_Ten-year-old Kim grudgingly extended her hand with the boxed ribbon gift in it towards Jack in front of her. He eyed her and a thin line formed on his lips as he reluctantly took the gift in his petite hands. _

_"Very good. Now it's your turn, Jack." She urged him further, "C'mon, give Kim your present." _

_"Now that's a good boy. You two have fun, I'll be right back." _

_Jack repeated Kim's actions, and both kids now knelt on the ground, excitedly unwrapping their gifts on the wooden outdoor bench before them. A wide smile formed across his lips as the last tape came off the wrapping paper. However, his smile faltered and curiosity arose in his mind as he couldn't really see anything inside the now unwrapped box. Little Jack lowered his head further down, burying it into the box to find the object. The boy was in for a surprise when a hard, plastic fist shot upwards and punched him in the nose. Jack immediately moaned in pain, and glared at Kim as she laughed to no extent, enjoying his state. _

_It was Kim's turn now. After unwrapping her gift, she saw nothing but a cylinder-shaped cardboard object. Huh? What kind of present was THIS? She stared at it in curiosity, but cried in disgust when dark mud shot out of the container, marring her complexion and perfectly braided hair. _

_Both kids glared profusely at each other, sending the other deadly looks. Not able to confine their anger, they immediately stood up on their feet and physically started to have a rumble with the other – hands and arms flailed around as they pushed and shoved. _

_Tired, they finally stopped and stood in front of each other, furious at what the other had done. _

_"CHEATER!" _

_"YOU CHEATER!" _

* * *

"He hasn't changed a bit!"

"Oh c'mon sis. Tomorrow is your _engagement._" Kim rolled her eyes as she spoke. Jack just irritated her to the core, "Forget Jack, and think about _Brett,_" she said in a teasing manner as she brought out a photo of Brett from under the bench.

Kim's eyes popped out of her sockets as she saw Brett's face on the photo. She immediately snatched it out of her sister's hands, boring her eyes into it. "THIS is Brett?!" _Oh no. _

"Yeah, so?" Grey rhetorically asked. What was the big deal? Kim in return stared into space as she remembered her encounter with the man in the photo.

* * *

_Brett stood in front of her, blocking her passage off the upper deck of the cruise at the New Years' Party. "You look really nice today." His lips were curved upwards in an earnest smile._

_She rolled her eyes in return, avoiding his gaze. Who was this loser? "Thanks," she arrogantly grumbled as she walked away._

* * *

"Grey, I was so rude to him!" Kim sighed with frustration, "all because of that loser Jack! Oh God…"

"Well, part of it _was_ your fault." Her sister retaliated, who mistakes their own fiancé for someone else?

"No way! I'm just mad that I wasted all the time I had to get to know Brett before our wedding on that stupid Jack!"

"Oh c'mon sis. It wasn't wasted in vain. And anyways, you know what they say in the movies – you have your whole life ahead of you to live with him, to get to know him. So chill." Her sister always knew what to say at the right time. Albeit she was the younger one, she definitely gave the greatest advice.

After having said what she wanted to say, Grey got up with the tray of potatoes in hand, leaving to go downstairs. On the way down, Kim listened with a distant mind as she grumbled on about too many chores and something about doing something about the mice clustering in the kitchen or something.

She outwardly groaned as she looked at Brett's photo in her hands, and then looked up towards the sky. "Oh God, I'm your child! I know I goofed up, but please show me the right way now."

And that was exactly what her darling God had intended to do. In an effort to calm herself down and relax, she got up from the bench and started to pull her clothes down from the clothesline, her already chaotic thoughts soon working themselves up into a heightened state of disarray.

One of Kim's dresses blew on the clothes line, courtesy of the breeze from the wind. It started to sway to the right as if it had a mind of its own. Her eyes widened with shock at the sight before her. She couldn't believe her eyes – was it really him? Her heart began to flutter as Jack stood in front of her, and his eyes twinkled as he charmingly winked at her with his right eye. Immediately, she was taken aback, as if she wasn't taken aback before. How could he still have this affect on her? She knew the truth about him, so why the uneasiness now? And why was he on her terrace? A million questions had arose in her mind as the dress swayed back to its previous position, blocking Jack from her sight. Not wasting another second, she hurriedly tugged on the dress to pull it off the clothesline rope it was hanging on, desperate to see him again.

However, no one was there. It was as if he was never here in the first place. She swiftly turned around, her eyes scanning 360 degrees all around her in sight of him. But the only person on the terrace was her – Jack was nowhere in sight. Was she… hallucinating about him? AGAIN? Kim groaned in frustration again. She didn't understand, why was this happening to her? If anything, she's supposed to be dreaming about BRETT, NOTTT Jack!

Kim moaned and groaned profusely as she complained and pleaded to her darling Lord – "God, what's happening to me?" She picked up Brett's photo on the bench and looked up at the sky to talk to Him, "I'm _supposed_ to be spending the rest of my life with Brett, so then why I am seeing JACK everywhere? I DON'T want to see him, PLEASE! NO!"

Little did she know that her darling God had simply complied with what she had asked – showing her the right way, the person who she would boundlessly spend her life with.

* * *

The sun had long set, and darkness enveloped the vast sky. Jack stood on the terrace, overlooking the busy streets below him. Albeit vehicles were honking and creating a ruckus below, an eerie calmness surrounded him as his lips were a thin line, deep in thought about the one thing that he couldn't take his mind off. He couldn't rest for even a second.

* * *

_Flashback (JACK POV): _

_"Every time YOU put chewing gum in my hair, YOUR pants will fall down, JACK ANDERSON!" _

_End Flashback _

* * *

Tired and deprived of sleep, Milton rubbed his eyes in a sore manner as he walked up to Jack's figure. His eyelids were heavy, and he wanted to do nothing more than to just sleep for an eternity. "Ugh man, what are you doing here on the terrace in the middle of the night?" Couldn't they just go to bed already? "Aren't you sleepy?"

"How can I fall asleep?" Jack said to his best friend in a monotone voice, his mind still deep in the reverie of that forlorn moment. He would never forget the utter humiliation he faced yesterday, the way she made a laughing stock out of him at the most posh restaurant in Gardenia.

"She made a joke out of me yesterday. No way I'm letting her off that easy."

* * *

As Jack started to walk towards the kitchen next morning, he heard that familiar rambunctious voice in the living room he had heard a couple days ago – Brett's mother. She irked him to the core – how greedy could the woman be. Asking for 200,000 dollars in dowry? What, do they _live _in the 17th century? He still remembered Kim's parents faces full of worry and tension that day when he had overheard Brett's mother asking for dowry money after Kim had served them the trifle she had fed to him moments ago. And the worst part was, his mother was so cunning and asked in a way that it didn't even seem like an official demand for dowry. He even tried to approach Rini about the same, but she shrugged it off, instead cleverly avoiding the topic. Thinking it best to not get involved with grown ups' business, he left the matter alone.

"Mrs. Crawford, this is the pastry plate that Kim is to eat from at the engagement ceremony this afternoon, from Brett's hands. Please be careful with it," Brett's mother said in an endearing tone.

Serena nodded at the same, and was just about to take the plate in her hands when Jack intervened. "Oh why don't I take this from you, I'll make sure to be very careful with it," he said, taking the plate in his hands with a smile. Brett's mother was surprised at his gesture, and even more at the sight of him. Every time she saw him, she always wondered what the equation between him and Kim was. Serena and Chuck had informed her that he was just the son of a family friend, but was there more to it than meets the eye?

"I'll go get some punch for you." He said as politely as he could, leaving towards the kitchen.

* * *

Bent down at the waist, Jack had gone around the living room, serving glasses of punch on a tray to Brett's family, and of course Kim's. However, his actions stopped midway upon handing Kim's great-Aunt her glass of punch when his eyes saw Kim entering the living room in a coy and shy manner. He slowly raised himself up as he adored her with his eyes, and his smile lost its confident, signature smirk. How did she manage to look so beautiful with even the simplest blue dress with white leggings?

Kim raised her gaze as she continued to walk in to find Jack looking at her all weirdly. She couldn't describe it – it was an earnest smile, but yet not. It was as if he didn't know how to react - what an idiot. Her coy smile was gone as she glared at him, then shortly after, avoided his gaze as he looked up and down her small frame.

For a mere minute, just seeing her beauty almost made him forget about his plan for revenge. ALMOST. When she avoided his gaze and glared at him, he remembered how annoying and irritating she really was, and the confident charisma was back. He smirked at her as she finally entered and approached Brett's mother in a polite manner.

"Oh what an angel." Her mother commented at her beauty as her future daughter-in-law approached her. "Have a seat," she motioned for Kim to sit down beside her.

"Oh no, I'm fine." Kim politely replied.

"Kim! If mother-in-law is saying to sit down, then sit down!" Jack intervened. She glared at him in return. _Can't you just SHUT IT! _

Her deadly glares had no effect on him, and he urged her once again. "C'mon, sit down Kim." He knew very well that Kim couldn't do anything to him while all her future in-law's family was here.

Not wanting to create a scene, she sat down beside Brett's mother, but not without sending one last deadly glare at a smirking Jack standing near her.

Jack excitedly set the tray of punch glasses on the coffee table, and took a seat beside Kim. He sat on the wooden stool and moved it closer to Kim, "Mrs. Adams, _I_ say you should dominate her from the very first day!"

Brett's mother looked at Jack in a quizzical manner. _Oh really now_.

"I mean, if you say to sit down, she should sit down. And if you tell her to get up, then she should get up. If you tell her to turn around in a circle, then she should turn around in a circle. And if you tell her to dance, then she should dance! Right?" Everyone laughed at Jack's antics as he joked around with Kim's in-laws. What an adorable boy.

However, there was one person who didn't find any of this funny – Kim Crawford. She profusely glared at him in a deadly manner for the umpteenth time that morning, but was returned with only Jack's signature smirk from him. _I swear Jack Anderson if you as much meddle even one finger in my wedding I'll make sure you regret it. _

The voice of Brett's mother broke the deadly and mischevious eye exchange between the strong headed individuals. "Oh it's nothing like that at all. In fact, she's just like the daughter I never had. Oh, I almost forgot! Tell me, have you bought your wedding dress yet?"

Kim contemplated at the same. Come to think of it, the wedding dress had completely slipped her mind. And all because of that STUPID Jack. Speaking of Jack, he snickered behind his closed lips as Mrs. Adams continued to urge Kim to buy her wedding dress soon, as she wouldn't be able to near the wedding. It would just be way too hectic for the bride to go out.

Serena and Chuck entered into the living room, approaching Brett's mother and father.

"Here you go, the wedding token."

Jack cautiously watched as Brett's parents' faces instantly lit up, as if they had just won the lottery. They eagerly took the box that looked like a box from a store into their hands, briefly peeking inside to check if the money was there or not. Satisfied, they had 1000 watt smiles on their faces as they bid their goodbyes and left the Crawford residence.

"Hey mom, what was in the box?" Kim curiously asked with innocence briefly after her in-laws left. As far as she knew, she never heard of a 'wedding token'. What was that for?

She was oblivious to the absurd demands they had made with her parents. In return, Jack watched as he stood behind the mother and daughter, awaiting Serena's answer. How he wanted to tell Kim the truth, to let her know how lowly her supposed future in-laws were, but stopped when Serena raised her voice. "Uh – uhm, oh yes! Just some dresses as the wedding token. It's just another tradition, honey. Don't worry yourself with it – _you _just have to worry about how beautiful you'll look at tonight's ceremony." Lovingly putting a hand on her cheek, she left the area to arrange for more money for Brett's parents.

Satisfied, Kim turned around with a wide smile as she and her cousins laughed away. Alas, it was short lived as it fell as soon as she laid eyes on Jack in front of her. A thin line immediately formed on her lips as she glared at him again like no tomorrow. Jack in return also quirked his eyebrows at her, glaring playfully back. _Hmm… Rini's right. I should get back to MY preparations for tonight as well_. And with that, he left towards the kitchen as he had initially planned to.

* * *

Milton followed after Jack as he walked inside towards the kitchen. "Dude, what are you doing. You're roaming around like a waiter for the person's wedding who totally humiliated you two days ago?" It just wasn't like Jack – he'd never live something like this down in London. Plus, why were his hands crossed behind his back?

Finally arriving at the kitchen, Jack stopped and faced his best friend. "Ex-actly. I'm roaming around as a waiter, and waiting for the _right _opportunity… which has _now arrived_."

"What kind of opportunity?"

"The _Watson_ formula!" He said in a posh British accent, imitating his stingy dean as he pulled out a white packet that was in his hands behind his back. Milton's face lit at the sight of the label on the packet as he read the words – "Laxative".

"Yo, I put like 4 pinches of this stuff in his juice, and he spent half the day in the washroom!" Jack snickered uncontrollably as he explained to his best friend the magic of this laxative. This stuff was gold! "Remember our pranks we played on the geezer?"

"AH SHIT YEA – " Milton was so ecstatic, remembered how flushed Jack had made Watson back then. However, Jack clamped his mouth shut when Milton began to get too rowdy. No one could hear about this. He put the packet on the counter near him as Milton excitedly spoke in a whisper, "laxative!"

Jack dashed over to the fridge, looking for something in particular. He opened the doors and pulled out a familiar plate of sweets, walking back to where Milton was standing by the counter. "These pastries are for the _bride_, and only the bride is supposed to eat it, who I _boundlessly_ DESPISE. And today, she'll spend her whole engagement in the washroom." Seriously, could revenge get any more sweeter? Literally.

"Man, Kim's a goner." Milton eagerly slapped his hands onto his shoulders as Jack smiled back with a snicker.

Alas, before he could even begin to commence his plan, his partner in crime heard familiar voices entering the kitchen, and Jack hurriedly put the plate on the counter near the packet of laxative. Still in a frenzy of not wanting to get caught, he dashed to the other side of the island counter, kneeling down on the ground to hide behind it so he wouldn't be seen. Milton pretended to leisurely stand in the kitchen as Grey approached him with her friends. She gave him a quizzical look as he was blocking her way, and then immediately after left the area with his hands in his pockets. _Weird._

Not thinking too much of the matter, she walked further inside to look for a white packet labeled rat poison. "Okay Courtney, pick up that box with the chocolate, and I'll get the rat poison." She wandered around hurriedly as she looked in every nook of the kitchen, in every pantry and cupboard for a white packet with rat poison labeled on it. Jack still lay kneeled on his feet on the floor behind the counter, waiting for Grey to finish up whatever she was doing. She bent down to look inside a cupboard beneath a counter, and Jack immediately reflexed back pushing on his feet to step back and lowering his head even more so that she wouldn't see him, even though her back was facing him. But he couldn't take any chances.

She walked back towards the island counter where the tray of sweets for Kim was, and knelt down on the ground to open the cupboard beneath it. "Found it!" Relief crossed her face as she pulled out a white packet labeled as 'rat poison' from the white cupboard. Satisfied with what she found, she stood back up, and placed it on the counter. However, the voice of Kim calling her from behind abruptly made her unaware of the identical looking white packet labeled as 'laxative' upright right beside her packet of 'rat poison'.

"Grey! Look at how the tailor stitched this! The fitting is all wrong!" She grumbled, complaining to her younger sister as she strode in, her dress for the evening draped over her shoulder.

Hearing her sister's voice, she turned around and pacified her. "Hey, don't get all worked up, Kimmy. We'll figure something out, c'mon." Grey left the premise with her arm around her sister's as she told Courtney to come too, bringing along the box of chocolates with her. She'd worry about the rat poison later – her sister's dress was of first priority.

As soon as the trio were out of sight, Jack carefully got up from his hiding spot, and went over to the other side of the counter where the plate of sweets and the two white identical looking packets were. Milton also appeared before him once the coast was clear. "Dude, that was a close one. Now hurry up," he urged his best friend to finish what they started before someone else came in and saw them.

In the hustle and bustle of trying to do his deed fast before someone could come, Jack accidentally picked up the white packet labeled 'rat poison', pouring the off-white powder emanating from the packet onto the pastries in the plate. His eyes scanned his surroundings as he vigorously shaked the packet up and down quickly, not bothering to notice whether he even took the right packet.

He clapped his hands together repetitively, shaking off the residue of the powder from his fingers, and then washing his hands in the sink. A smug smile crossed his lips as he thought of the sweet revenge he would soon have that evening. _Payback time_.

* * *

It was finally time for the engagement to commence, and like all the others attending the ceremony, Jack and Milton too stood in the foyer of the venue, awaiting the arrival of Kim. Brett had already been seated on his plush seat at the pavilion at the front, and Kim had yet to enter.

Every body's head turned as Kim walked in, her mother walking beside her on one side, and her sister and cousins on the other side. She wore a white dress that touched the floor, yellow sequins around the bodice. As she gracefully strolled in, a bashful smile played on her lips as she looked at her mother – everything was so perfect, just like she had imagined. Her happiness was to no extent.

Jack gazed on as his lips twitched slightly upwards seeing the beautiful sight before him. A blissful Kim walked towards the venue and his eyes trailed her frame. Yes, she was cute. That was a given. But he didn't know that she would look absolutely ethereal in traditional wear. It just gave her this new angelic look, like a princess straight out of a Disney movie.

He moved his body unconsciously as the water fountain he was standing by was starting to block his view of her. He didn't want to move his gaze away from her as she looked down at the ground in a shy manner, and then lifted her gaze back up in front of her, anxious yet excited of finally getting engaged to the man she would be spending her life with. Or so she thought. Little did she know that the person she _would_ be boundlessly spending her life with couldn't take his eyes off of her.

Her eyes fluttered towards her periphery as she noticed Jack innocently gazing at her. No, he wasn't gaping at her like some creep. Truth was, he just admired her from afar. However, her smile turned sternwhen she saw him, and her eyes narrowed, glaring at him. Why was his presence even needed at her engagement ceremony, geez she didn't know why, but the mere look of him just boiled her blood to no extent. She just wished he'd never come in the first place.

Jack was unphased by Kim's deadly glares, as he was lost in admiring her beauty as she walked on. He looked like a schoolboy in 5th grade who had a crush on the prettiest girl in the class. His eyes softened, and he smiled as he looked at the gorgeous girl in front of him. She was like no other. No London girl, or any other woman for that matter could surpass her beauty. She looked ethereal and angelic as his gaze was transfixed on her.

Kim walked on towards the pavilion with her mother, sister, and cousins, approaching it. Finally reaching, they carefully helped her ascend the steps onto the stage. She was touched at Brett's mother's gesture when she lovingly sat her down in a plush seat next to Brett. He flashed her a smile as she faced him coyly, awestruck by her beauty. After all, no matter what she had with Jack, Kim was to be _his_ at the end of the day. And he found pride in the same fact.

It was a joyous occasion for all. Grey gave a side hug to her mother and father as their happiness reached no extent, seeing their darling daughter finally getting engaged. Jack watched from afar as a bashful smile was on Kim's lips, at how happy she looked. He narrowed his eyes at her and lifted his leg onto the ledge in front of him, bending over at his waist. His lips were slightly parted as he eyed her on with concentration. Yet, there was something mischevious and playful about his eyes. Numerous girls who were attending the function as guests felt their hearts flutter as they watched Jack eye the bride, oh why couldn't he look at THEM that way? Gosh, he was just so attractive in that blue blazer.

There was just one person whose heart did absolutely NOT flutter for him. Kim. She glared at him once again as he eyed her with a challenge, and looked away, as if he didn't matter at all. He enjoyed her sassy nature – it made the chase all the more fun.

Milton was just casually passing by, eating a chocolate ball in hand, when out of the corner of his eye he noticed Jack's figure bent down on a ledge. He stopped in his tracks and came closer to his periphery as he saw the thing he was peering so affectionately at. A smiling Kim on the stage nearby. _He isn't… in love with her, is he? No…. _He trailed off in his mind. He peered beside Jack. "Bro, you haven't changed your mind about payback, have you?"

"No way, dude. I'm just waiting for the moment when _Br-ett _is gonna feed Kim the pastry with his own hands." A devilish smirk was on his lips as he eyed a happy Kim in front of him. Milton smiled at the same. _Phew. _

* * *

Grey and Courtney walked on through the open halls. Sudden excitement filled Grey's eyes as she noticed two familiar boys leaning on the railing, their backs facing her. She perked up, and surprised them as her feet, along with Courtney's, approached them.

"How do I look?" She asked with an effervescent smile.

"Gorgeous!" Jack enthusiastically gave her a thumbs-up. She looked like his cutie-pie doll, like always. They shared a bond like no other – she was the little baby sister he never had. He still remembered how he'd always pinch her cheeks in their childhood when she was just a mere child.

Grey giggled in return at Jack's compliment. She could always count on her Jack to pamper her just like an older brother. Yet, she had no idea what extent Jack would actually be willing to go to in the future to protect her with all his might.

"You're the most beautiful girl in the whole ceremony, I swear!" Milton added with a little bit more enthusiasm than Jack. She looked very cute! Plus, she was a lot of fun to hang out with – he still remembered how much fun he had dancing with her on the cruise on New Years'. It wasn't romantic or anything, they just partied away like buds. She beats those London bimbos any day.

Grey giggled again, and this time even blush appeared on her cheeks as she looked at Courtney.

Lighthearted moments between the four were interrupted as a girl strode up to Grey, worry lines firmly visible on her forehead. "Hey Grey! Do you know where the packet of rat poison is? I can't find it."

"It's probably on the kitchen counter, near the stove."

Grey's words briefly caught Jack's attention. _Hmm. What a coincidence. That's where I put the tray of sweets and pulled the stunt of putting laxative powder on the pastries. _

The girl shook her head. "All I found _there_ was this packet of _laxative_." She showed Grey the packet as she pulled it out in front of her.

Jack's eyes immediately grew wide and his face fully turned towards the girl he'd never seen before. It looked like his eyes would jump out of his sockets.

"_Laxative?_" She asked as she took the white packet in her hands. "Where did _this _come from?"

Extreme confusion and shock was written all over his face as he recalled pouring the white powder all over the pastry tray like no tomorrow.

Grey's voice brought him out of his reverie as she casually didn't take heed to the girl's words seriously. "I'm sure the guy at the store must've given us laxative instead of rat poison. C'mon let's go."

As Grey and her two friends walked away, Jack and Milton's faces went pale, their faces white and void of colour. What had they just done. If the stuff that he put in the pastry tray wasn't laxative, then….

_AH SHITTTTT. _

Milton watched as Jack immediately jumped on his feet and dashed away. He ran as fast as his legs could carry him. He was surprised at Jack's gesture, was he really going to heroically throw away the pastry plate on the stage? He was proved wrong as Jack instead kept his character intact and jumped over the railing, dashing his way into the kitchen to check whether he indeed did put laxative in the pastries.

His heels skidded to a rash stop as he reached the kitchen, and then briefly started again as he searched in every nook and cranny of every cupboard and closet for the familiar white packet. Meanwhile, Kim and Brett happily exchanged their engagement rings, and both families couldn't be happier at the joy of the moment. Kim blissfully hugged her father as she rested her head on his chest. Her happiness knew no bounds.

As he searched to and fro panting like a mad man, his eyes wandered to a white substance in the garbage can in the corner. He hastily walked up to it, picking up the packet in hand. He turned it around to see the label – "_Poison to Eradicate Rats". _

His eyes went wide in horror. "So that means, the stuff I put in the pastry tray wasn't laxative… but RAT POISON?!" Oh no. What had he done. "Where's the pastries?" He had to find the pastry tray before it was too late and Kim ate one.

Realizing that the tray could already be on the stage ready for Kim to eat, he made a dash for it, running to get the tray back before it was too late. His feet skidded to a stop, and he was flushed and out of breath as the sight before him shocked him to the core. A pastry held between Brett's fingers was mere millimetres away from Kim's open mouth as she was just on the verge of engulfing it. He ran again, like his life depended on it, suggesting future hesitation.

He threw the whole tray up in the air while in the midst of throwing away the pastry near her mouth. To say everyone was utterly shocked at his action… was an understatement. Brett's mother roared at the same, demanding to know the reason behind his actions. It took hours and hours to make those pastries, and they were for the last part of the ceremony! How dare he – she knew the boy was ill-mannered from the start.

Jack watched in heavy hesitation as everybody was asking him, revolted at his actions. They stared at him in shock and bewilderment. And Jack? He had nothing to say. What would he say? He mixed laxative diarrhea into the pastries that Kim was supposed to eat? Yeah, that'd go down so well with Rini and Chuck. Girls from afar looked at the expressions on Jack's face – albeit what the situation was, he looked so adorable like a schoolboy caught stealing candy.

_Think, Jack. Think. _

_Got it. _A last resort to save himself. No one expected it, not even his best friend Milton, for Jack to rub his temples and then faint right on the spot. They all looked on as he fell to the ground, unconscious on his back.

* * *

**Next time on Boundless: **

Jack and Kim get caught in a sticky situation when a police officer mistakes Jack's action of pulling Kim's scarf out of his tire for them doing something far more inappropriate. "Let's go to the police station."

When Jack and Kim go to the police station as per the officer's orders, Jack's mom calls him on his phone. Jack stood behind the officer's desk, while Kim sat on a bench outside the office, as per Jack's orders. He picked up his phone and hastily replied, "Mom, I'll call you back later." In a haste to solve the situation at hand, he puts his phone on the desk, forgetting to press the end button on his iPhone. Jack's mother is appalled when she overhears Jack's voice. "Actually sir, that girl outside is my _fiancé_. My future wife."

After hearing those words, she immediately hangs up her phone, utterly shocked. "Fiance? That's it, we're going to Gardenia ASAP."

However, once there, she gets yet another shock. Her eyes pop out of her socket when she walks out the airport doors and onto the street of Gardenia, shocked at what she was seeing. Katherine is shocked and surprised seeing Jack and Kim, too close for comfort. Her son was millimetres away from a blonde girl, romantically zipping up her jacket. But that jacket was Jack's. She could recognize it anywhere. What was going on? Her worst fears were coming true – her darling son getting romantically involved with a _GARDENIAN. _

What would become of Jack and Kim's relationship now?

Keep reading BOUNDLESS to find out!


	7. Heart Beats

**Hello all! Here's the next update. Thank you so much for all the feedback! 93 reviews is so commendable! So grateful, thanks for all the love! :)) This chapter is extra long, so I'll post the first part of it tonight, and then update it to include the second/final part tomorrow. Also, primarily because my beta reader hasn't gotten the second part to me yet. On that note, updates will officially be every Monday! :)**

**Edited AN: I know i said i would update yesterday, and i'm sorry. I got caught up doing a chem assignment for school. Anyway, here it is! My most lengthiest chapter in this story by far! Hope y'all like it! The climax is soon approaching, just another few chapters until this season reaches its end. It's been so fun writing this story :) I do hope all of you have enjoyed reading this story as much as I have writing and working on it. xx **

* * *

All of Kim's family crowded around Jack's bed as he lay unconscious, his eyes closed. Kim was nowhere to be seen by Jack's bed, as she was currently engrossed in a phone conversation with Brett in her own room. The doctor sat by Jack on a chair close to the bed, doing a diagnostic. Worry lines were clearly visible on Serena's face as she brushed her fingers through his hair to soothe him.

"Doctor, why hasn't he woken up yet?" Serena asked, looking at her husband in worry.

"It's nothing to worry about, Mrs. Crawford. The boy has fainted because of fatigue." Little did the doctor know that Jack had hardly done any work apart from roaming around to and fro with Kim. Being the drama queen he was, Jack made a cute innocent face with his eyes still closed while the doctor told Serena that he fainted because of fatigue.

Milton silently snickered as the doctor continued to assure Serena that Jack would be fine by tomorrow with the aid of some medicines he would prescribe him. Chuck let out a relieved sigh at the doctor's words.

"Look! He's awake!"

Serena heard Kim's great-aunt cry, and immediately looked down at Jack to see him slowly opening his eyes. _Oh my poor baby,_ she thought as she looked at him having the most innocent, naïve look on his face. Realizing that Jack was getting overwhelmed by all the commotion by Kim's relatives that they were causing at seeing Jack finally coming to, Serena silenced them all. "Hey, quiet all of you! Please!" _You'll give him a headache with all the yelling_. Concerned and worried still, she looked at Jack again. "Are you okay?"

Milton smiled at Jack's antics as he pretended to be so confused and bewildered. _What a drama queen. Nice timing, bro._

Jack fluttered his eyes open innocently as Chuck gave the doctor his fees, and the doctor left the Crawford residence.

"Did you hear that?" Chuck scolded Jack, but with an endearing tone.

Jack blinked his eyes back again, maintaining his innocent façade.

"You've been working all day." Chuck sighed. "Of course you fainted!" As he continued to berate Jack out of concern for the boy, Milton smiled at Jack at the amount of care and love he was getting.

"No, Chuck. It's nothing like that – " He spoke weakly as if he really had fainted for real, but was interrupted by his darling Rini.

"Oh shut up, Jack. He's right. You take some rest now, and I'll send over your dinner here to your room." Jack nodded feebly as Serena got up and told everyone to go out of his room so that he could rest.

Serena however stopped on her heel as she was leaving as a thought came into her mind. "By the way Jack, why didn't you let Kim eat that pastry?"

_Busted_. Jack worriedly looked over at his best friend who had been sitting at the foot of his bed the whole time. Both of them looked at each other nervously, not sure what to say. Jack's eyes wavered over to Serena's figure cowering over him. She wasn't budging this time – the curiosity had ignited in her mind, and she needed an answer.

Come to think of that, now everybody's curiosity sparked as all of Kim's cousins, aunts, sister, and father looked at Jack with a tilted head, expecting an answer.

His gaze wandered over to Milton's nervous face as he lowered his gaze from him. It seemed like even Milton was fresh out of ideas this time. He looked back at Serena, stuttering profusely as he tried to think of a reasonable explanation for his absurd actions. "Actually uh uh – "

"uh-uhm - because of the rats!" And Milton's quick presence of mind saved him.

Well, not really.

Jack looked back at his best friend, confused. _What was he up to? _

Serena mouthed out the word rats in confusion. Rats? She didn't understand.

Milton briefly paused to recollect his thoughts. "When Jack went into the kitchen, a bunch of rats were crowded around the plate of sweets."

Grey, Courtney, and the girl who had earlier showed the packet of laxative she had found in the kitchen were appalled, their eyes wide.

As Milton explained that was the reason for his actions, Jack's gaze wavered between Kim's family and his best friend.

"Right Jack?" He winked with his right eye at his mate.

He complied, and let out a breathless yes as he nodded slightly as if he was still in pain and head dizzy.

"Oh dear Lord! Then why didn't you say so?" Serena asked.

Jack remained silent as he looked over at his best friend smiling at him. _Safe and Sound_.

"Oh Thank God! If Kim would've eaten that pastry…" The thought itself scared her. If it wasn't for Jack, her daughter would've been in the hospital right now.

"Well done Jack." Kim's father patted his shoulder, thankful and proud of him for saving his daughter who he cherished beyond means.

Jack slowly raised himself as everyone walked out, making sure they were all out of sight before he turned his face towards his best friend sitting in front of him. Once all clear, a wide grin plastered onto his lips as Milton playfully winked at him.

* * *

"Kim!"

_Mom? _She heard her mother's voice and realized that she was coming into her room. "Brett, I'll call you later. Goodbye." She said politely in a whisper as she hastily cut the call and put down her phone on her desk. Her mother entered her room as Kim buried her face into a book, putting a façade of being deeply engrossed in the novel that she was reading upside down. Luckily, her mother failed to notice the same as she began to place her daughter's clothes in her wardrobe closet.

"Oh what a nice man Brett is. Bless his soul, he doesn't take anything to heart."

Kim smiled inwardly when her mother praised her now official fiancé. However, the smile vanished as soon as it had appeared when just the next second, her mother began to say that her darling Jack was no less – he was an angel.

Say what now? Was she being serious? She immediately stood up from her chair, and turned around to face her mother, quite upset at her words. It was Jack's whole fault that her engagement was ruined in the first place!

"YEAH RIGHT he's an angel!" Kim's mother was surprised by her outburst. "He ruined my whole engagement!"

"You don't even know anything," her mother rebutted her grumbling. "Do you know WHY Jack didn't let you eat that pastry?"

Kim could care less. _Why? _She expressed sarcastically.

"Some rats in the kitchen got a hold of the pastry tray, and were eating out of it like no tomorrow. Thank the Lord Jack saved you, or else who knows what state you'd be in right now." She went back to putting Kim's clothes on her hangars, and then hanging them in her closet.

Kim's eyes softened at the thought of Jack's gesture. Did he really do that for her? A ghost of a smile played on her lips. Maybe he wasn't so bad after all.

* * *

Jack and Milton leisurely lay on their bed, their legs sprawled across the mattress.

"Dude Milton, you're awesome, man!"

Milton laughed in thanks.

"What a good reason you gave to Rini! Straight from a villain to a hero."

Both boys shared a laugh as they exchanged a fist punch with each other, colliding their fists.

"I have many hidden talents." Milton said nonchalantly as Jack smiled at his best friend. "And anyways, even _God_ was on our side today." He said as he moved his eyes briefly upwards with a smile. "I mean – that girl found the laxative packet, and we didn't even get caught." Unable to control his laughter, he continued in between snickers, "'Cause Grey thought (snicker) that the guy at the store gave them (snicker) laxative instead of rat poison!" It couldn't _just_ be a coincidence. So bloody hilarious.

Jack spoke up. "Exactly. If God listens to us without us even praying, then why do people even pray?"

_Point to be noted_. "Hmm." Milton mused, nodding his head, thinking about Jack's words. "Maybe because He pays more heed to those who pray to Him?"

"You got a point there." Jack innocently raised his lips into a smile.

Little did Jack know that God hadn't saved the rascal, but instead had made his life more difficult, as he would soon find out.

As they shared a few hearty laughs between each other, Jack noticed Kim standing at their door out of the periphery of his eye. He looked at Milton, who had the same dumbfounded look he had. Looking back at Kim to see her with a tray of orange juice, he shifted his position on the bed, acting like he was still weak from the day's happenings. He beckoned her to come in and sit on his bed near them as he rubbed his temples, moaning in pain.

Kim meekly complied as she sat on the edge of his bed. "How are you feeling now?"

"Much better. Thanks."

Milton watched with an amused smile as a grin played on Kim's lips and she looked down.

"Mom told me how you saved me today." Kim looked up to face him.

"Oh Rini! She can't keep anything inside her chest." He commented in a modest manner and a grin adorned his lips as he adjusted himself on the pillow he was leaning on.

Milton watched the flirty interaction between the two and silently snickered, his mind whirled around the hilarious scenario.

"Thank you so much Jack!"

"You're welcome, Kim." He said as he raised his head slightly to speak, his voice soft.

Her lips morphed into a wide grin at his words, and she picked up the glass of orange juice on her tray, moving it towards him. "Here, fresh orange juice."

"Oh, Kim! You shouldn't have…" He scooched a little ways closer to her, taking the glass in hand.

"Oh c'mon Jack, you'll feel better. Here."

"Thanks." He flashed an earnest smile her way as he grasped his hand around the glass.

A few comfortable moments of silence passed between them as they smiled at each other. "By the way, you aren't as bad as I thought you were." Jack was touched at how sweet she was being with him.

Milton tried to suppress his smile as Jack told Kim that he wasn't a bad person at all. Oh she had no idea. Nope – not bad at all.

"You don't even know me that well."

Kim shyly smirked at his comment. "I'll get to know you over time." A flirty smile crossed her lips, and Jack was taken aback, surprised at how sweet and flirty she was being with him.

Milton on the other hand, couldn't believe his eyes. These two couldn't even go two seconds without being ready to sling each other's throats, and now they were having a quite flirty conversation. Who knew. Boy, if only Kim knew…

"Okay well I'm gonna go now." She bid them both a polite goodnight as she picked up the tray off his bed, and got up to leave the room.

As soon as she was out of sight, Jack looked at Milton with a crooked smile. For the first time, he actually enjoyed a conversation with Kim, and he'd be lying if he said they didn't have a moment for a second there. "You know, she's not that bad when she actually behaves half-decently." Didn't he know? This was the beginning of every love story.

The cool, orange liquid resonated down Jack's throat as he gulped most of it down. A quarter of it remained as he commented that the juice tasted quite good.

Milton smiled as he quirked his eyebrows at him. _Of course it did. Courtesy of KIM making it. Whether he believed it or not, but his best friend DID have something_ _for her._ "Oh really. Drink it up, then."

Gladly. He continued to gulp it quickly down his throat, relishing in its taste. Setting the empty glass on the glass table beside him, he told Milton to go turn off the lights so that they could sleep.

However, not a second had passed that he began to feel a rumbly in his tummy, and immediately cried out in protest. "WAIT! Don't turn them off yet. I'm just gonna go to the washroom."

Not able to control it for another second, he dashed as fast as he could off the bed and into the washroom nearby.

* * *

An irritated expression was on Kim's face as she stared into space in her room. Oh, how she despised him. She was right – Jack was no angel!

_Flashback (KIM POV)_

_"Even God was on our side today!" Milton said as he moved his eyes briefly upwards with a smile. "I mean – that girl found the laxative packet, and we didn't even get caught." Unable to control his laughter, he continued in between snickers, "'Cause Grey thought (snicker) that the guy at the store gave them (snicker) laxative instead of rat poison!"_

_Before going off to Jack's room again, Kim was in the kitchen, mixing some laxative powder from the same packet that Jack had brought for her into his glass of orange juice. Once she had found out what Jack's real motives were, she wouldn't live this down. As she stirred the spoon around the glass, dissolving the powder into the juice, a smirk played on her lips. "Alright Mr. Jack, now be prepared to spend the whole night in the restroom tonight." _

_END FLASHBACK_

* * *

**Time: 10:30**

Jack walked in back to his room, hand on his stomach, moaning in pain. The orange juice had started to take its effect.

"What's wrong Jack?" Concerned, Milton beckoned him to come sit down on the bed and try to relax. Jack was just about to settle down onto the mattress, but felt his stomach pain again. "Jack!" His cry was left unheard as Jack immediately rushed to the bathroom once again. In return, Milton face-palmed.

Jack entered again, constipated expressions on his face, groaning in pain once again. "You okay?"

"Don't ask, man."

And the cycle repeated again and again the whole night.

**Time: 4:50 A.M. **

Poor Milton. He rubbed his eyes sorely as Jack came in through the doors for the umpteenth time that night. Loyal best friend that he was, he didn't sleep a wink the whole night.

Albeit Jack moaned and groaned profusely with constipated expressions on his face, he finally managed to seat himself down the bed. However, the pain didn't stop. "Dude, I think she put something in the juice," he said, not without grunting in a constipated manner constantly throughout his spoken words.

_Damn you Kim, why you so smart? _Milton reveled at the thought at seeing the state of his friend. "Oh not just _something_, I think she did what you wanted to do!" Kim had turned the tables on him – his plan had backfired on himself.

* * *

The next morning:

Kim was mindlessly sipping on her green tea for the day, her eyes scanning the words off the newspaper in hand, when her eyes wandered over to a half-sleepy Jack with messy bed hair striding into the courtyard, Milton following behind. Her lips immediately curved upwards into the widest grin possible – he looked like he hadn't slept a wink. Oh but last night _she_ had had the most blissful sleep ever in a long time. _Revenge was indeed sweet_. Jack grumpily looked at a wide-grinned Kim as he walked through the courtyard over to the open sink. _This isn't over_.

Kim stifled a laugh as he glared at her briefly as he walked on, wishing her aunts a friendly good morning. She continued to have a smirk on her lips and playful eyes as her great-Aunt beckoned one of her cousins to make some tea for Jack while he started to brush his teeth.

Squeezing out some toothpaste from the tube and putting it onto his brush, he looked over his shoulder as he heard a taunting 'good morning' from Kim behind him as she leisurely sat on a lawn chair, sipping on some tea.

"Good morning." His voice was monotone and cold as he faced the front again.

She continued to grin at his state and taunted again, "You look quite fresh this morning. Looks like you slept quite well last night."

Jack recalled his so-called 'good sleep' last night with heavy eyelids – the image of him bending down to rest on his bed, and then no sooner getting back up to dash to the restroom haunted his mind. He looked over his shoulder again to see her wholeheartedly laughing her head off. _Gloat all you want, Kim. I'll make sure you regret doing this to me._

* * *

Serena walked up to her daughter just as she was leaving the courtyard. "Kim honey, why don't you go wedding shopping today?"

"Shopping? Already? Isn't it too soon?"

"Nonsense. There are just a few days left for the wedding!" Truth was, her husband had informed her that the mortgage guy was coming home later in the afternoon to inspect the house. Kim's future in-laws had demanded more money for the wedding, and fresh out of resources of money, the last resort had been to mortgage off their house. Of course, Kim couldn't know a thing about this. Hence, he told his wife that Kim shouldn't be at home when the mortgage man comes.

Her daughter pondered at the same; she found it a little bit weird, but she guessed it made sense. "Umm… okay. I'll go call Grey," she said as she started to walk towards her room. However, her steps were stopped short, courtesy of her mother as she objected.

"Grey has already gone off to college." She mused. _Perfect. _"Why don't you go with Jack?"

His eyes immediately snapped with mischief and a twinkle. "How about it Jack? You'll take her, won't you?" He released his hold off his toothbrush that was previously circling around his teeth, white foam all around his lips. Turning around fully to a wide-eyed disheveled Kim, he gladly complied. "Yeahh Rini!" His enthusiastic words sounded jumbled together, courtesy of the foam and toothpaste in his mouth. "For sure!"

Jack continued to brush his teeth as Kim wildly protested. "No Mom! I don't want to go! Please!" His foam-covered lips curved upwards into his signature smirk as he looked at the whining expression on her face. _Payback time_.

His smirking gaze didn't waver from her as her father came in and both managed to convince her to go shopping with him. She reluctantly left the courtyard to go change and get ready.

His gaze trailed her figure as she walked out his sight, and remained focused on where she once stood. _Okay Ms. Kimberly Anne Crawford, time to go shopping. If I don't make you suffer a worse fate this afternoon than what I suffered last night, then change my name from Jack Anderson._

* * *

Gliding smoothly down the asphalt roads, Jack was in the driver's seat, one hand leisurely on the steering wheel as he drove. Kim looked over beside her as she sat in the passenger seat towards him, rolling her eyes - an irritated expression on her face as he casually whistled a high carefree tune as if he had no care in the world. She couldn't believe he was stuck with him.

A smirk played on his lips as he briefly looked away from the road to see her look at the road blankly with a pout.

As Jack continued to whistle along the ride, Kim looked down at the phone in her lap, as it started to ring. She picked it up and held it up with her right hand. _Brett? _A bashful smile immediately encased her lips as she happily put the phone to her ear. "Hello."

"Mother just spoke with your mother. You've gone shopping." A sinister, possessive tone was in his voice, but went unnoticed by Kim who was just happy he called so she wouldn't have to deal with Jack's incessant whistling any longer. As soon as she had picked up her phone, he stopped whistling. What do you know - the boy has manners.

"Yes." She shyly let out.

The devil smirk appeared again as Brett hatched a plan in mind. "Okay. Do one thing - come to New Market. I'll wait for you there. And then, dump Jack and we'll go shopping together." Kim looked triumphantly over at Jack who had an innocent smile on his face, oblivious to their conversation... or so she thought. "I'll drop you home, okay?" Brett added.

"Okay. Goodbye."

"New Market." She told him as she looked at him with a smug smirk.

A sly smile grew on Jack's lips as he suddenly swerved the vehicle to the left, turning into an adjacent street. While doing so, Kim wildly protested, "Jack! What are you doing - New Market is THAT (gesturing with her hand) way!"

"I know, I know. We'll get there soon enough. For now, let me show you some other places." Jack purposely didn't take her to the market to meet Brett - he couldn't pass up this opportunity. He just loved irritating Kim, and did like being around her just to annoy her. They shared a sweet love/hate relationship.

* * *

"Have a look at this one, ma'am. I'm sure it'll look great on you." The shopkeeper handed a yellow dress with a multicoloured border in Kim's hands.

She took it and draped it on top of her to see how it would look as she looked at the mirror ahead. "Meh, it's alright, nothing special." She clicked her teeth, disapproving. It was okay, but not standing out.

Her eyes drifted to Jack's reflection in the manner as he gestured with his hands and an expression on his face that the dress wasn't all too happening. A frown filled her lips. Irritated, she told the shopkeeper that it's nice and she'd like to get it. Both individuals shared a stare-down through the mirror.

The shopkeeper showed her a new dress. "How bout this one ma'am?"

Her face instantly lit up, grabbing the dress in her hands politely. "Wow, this is _beautiful." _However, her face just as instantly lost its shine when Jack spoke up from behind. "Superb! At least you finally like something worthwhile." An irritated expression crossed her face again as he irritated her by liking every dress she picked, hence causing her to pick a dress she doesn't like just to annoy him. She stuttered briefly before clarifying to Jack that she was talking about the dress she already picked out, putting the dress onto the counter.

"Trust me - I'm positive you'll like this one." The shopkeeper made another attempt to please his customer as he handed her a blue dress. "Here."

Taking the dress and draping it over her shoulder, she was uninterested. _Meh. Not that great._ Jack again annoyed her as he gestured that the dress wasn't all that great. Just like he expected, she again turned back on her decision, telling the shopkeeper to pack this dress too in an effort to spite Jack, even though she didn't like it.

As his lips formed into a thin line across his face, Jack watched as Kim profusely glared at him as the shopkeeper began to fold both the dresses quite neatly, and watched her with a smirk on his lips as she then left towards the cash register.

Jack curving his lips upward, he innocently asked the shopkeeper to show him a dress hanging high on the wall nearby.

"Of course!" Gladly complying, he got up to fetch the dress that Jack had asked for. Once he made sure that he wasn't looking his way, Jack slyly pulled out a Swiss Army pocket knife from the pocket of his jeans, opening it to reveal the sharp blade. Scanning his surroundings once more briefly, he cut through the thin fabric of the dress repeatedly, making a big hole in it. Once finished, he closed the blade and put the Swiss Army knife back into the back pocket of his jeans.

The shopkeeper came back with the dress Jack supposedly wanted in his hands to see him with his hands in his pockets standing awkwardly. Not thinking much of it, he gestured the dress towards him. "Here ya go, sir."

"Oh, no no, that's okay." He acted suddenly uninterested in the dress. "Just pack the previous two dresses she decided on," he told him politely.

The shopkeeper complied and smiled.

A smug smirk appeared on Jack's face as he thought of the sweet revenge he was about to have. _This time, Jerry wins this round, Tom. _However, Jack had forgotten the prime rule of this Tom and Jerry game - Jerry _never_ wins.

* * *

Crossing his arms across his chest, Jack walked up to Kim with an aura of smug confidence as she stood behind the counter. "That dress isn't really all that great."

Rolling her eyes, she couldn't care less what he thought. As long as that stupid smirk was off his face, it didn't matter. "I like it. And I'm gonna get _that_ dress."

"You _can't_ buy that dress." He said with smug confidence as he inched closer to her.

She immediately turned around. "What do you mean 'I _can't_'?" Glaring at him profusely, "I CAN, and I WILL." Proving her point, she strode over to the counter closer.

"One minute." He said, halting the cashier from ringing up the dress on the register. "This dress of yours is defective."

"Where?" None of the merchandise of this store had defective pieces. He was quite surprised at the customer's allegation.

Not saying a word, he let his actions do all the talking. He picked up the hem of the dress and brought it in front of Kim's face. She looked at it with a quite fuming face as she saw a big hole in the middle of the fabric through which she could see Jack's smug confident face. Confident that he had hit the bullseye, he gave the dress back to the cashier.

"Oh I am extremely sorry about that sir! I'll get you a new one right away!"

"Oh that's okay. Just put it aside, and pack the green one instead." Jokes and pranks aside, Kim's twinkling eyes seeing that dress didn't go unnoticed by him. And it _would _look beautiful on her.

"Oh no it's okay. Please pack both of them." Jack was immediately surprised at her words as he looked at her beside him. "_He's_ paying the bill."

"Why me?"

Her lips curved upwards into a smirk. "Because I know exactly _how_ this dress got defective. So pay now."

It took no longer than a mere moment for Kim to crumble Jack's smug confidence. The previous smirk that was on Jack's face as he intently listened to her had now dropped down as his lips parted. Even when he won, he lost! What's with her - why does she ALWAYS get the last word?

"Hey, wait a second!"

However, it was too late. Her head held high with victory, she triumphantly left the store.

* * *

Quickly paying for the clothing items, he came running out of the store behind her as she briskly walked through the market streets. Like a true gentlemen, he trailed behind with shopping bags in hand for Kim, not that she really gave him a choice with her walking off before him.

"Why do you think that _I'm_ responsible for all the bad things that happen to you?"

"Because that's the truth!" She snapped, turning around to briefly face him behind her and then face the front again as she walked ahead. "I've been telling you for so long that I want to go to New Market and you brought me here!"

"But there's like so many more stores here!"

"SHUT UP! Just _shut. up._" She immediately whirled around to face her, her eyes glowing with anger. How immature could he get! "Not another _word_."

He pretended to zip his mouth as he hovered his finger over his lips. "Happy?" Sarcasm seethed out of his tone.

She rolled her eyes at the same, and couldn't stand him for another second. She stepped on her heel and swiftly left down the street toward the Jeep they came in.

* * *

Meanwhile, Brett's anger knew no bounds as he stood near a stall in New Market. God, what was taking her so long? She wasn't doing something with Jack... The thought itself horrified him, the seed of jealousy already implanting continuing to grow to a beanstalk. No. Kim was HIS. Only HIS. His possessiveness provoked him to hastily call her up.

"Kim! Where are you?! I've been waiting for you at New Market for over an hour!"

His fuming anger didn't go unnoticed by Kim as she hastily kept walking towards the Jeep. Oh Gosh, it was only natural that Brett would be angry at her - this was all that stupid Jack's fault! "I know I know Brett, I'm coming." She quickly replied in guilt and apology, and hung up just as fast, eager to get to her destination.

* * *

Jack's footfalls halted as his eyes set on Kim seated in the passenger seat of the Jeep. But his eyes twinkled with mischief when he noticed just one more thing - her white scarf caught in the black tire. Another plan hatched into his mind as he walked around to the driver's seat and placed the bags in the back, seating himself down behind the wheel. This time, it was foolproof. Time to use his secret weapon - his undying charm.

Kim watched with an annoyed face as Jack mindlessly tapped his fingers on the steering wheel, as if he had all the time in the world. She couldn't take it anymore when he looked at his own reflection in the rear view mirror and started to fix his hair. Irritated, she signaled him with her right hand to start the car and get moving.

Unphased, he ignored her as her gesture went in one eye and out the other. She tried again, flailing her hand more aggressively, but to no avail as he just looked at her with a straight face.

However, the next second the look on his face changed as he moved his whole body toward her, his left arm extending around her seat. His arm hovered around her shoulders as he inched closer to her. The look in his eyes was no longer playful - it was... She couldn't explain it. He just kept looking at her with soft eyes, not tearing his gaze away from her. Apprehensive, she inched backwards in her seat as he moved closer to her, trapping her with his arm hovering over her shoulders. Her heart was beating out of her chest as she tried her best to not look at him, but his smoldering romantic gaze on her as he continued to move closer as she moved back was making it hard. Minimal to nonexistent space existed between the two.

His gaze still fixed on her with his soft eyes, he pulled on her scarf near her body, disentangling it from the tire. He was just about to abruptly pull back, leaving her flustered when an ominous, authoritative, and sneering voice entered his ears, causing not just Kim, but also himself to be flustered as they looked away from each other abruptly and at the police officer standing a few meters away from the vehicle. "Well well well. Now what do we have here?" Various people had now crowded around as they witnessed the scene.

The officer walked over to the two lovebirds in the Jeep in a gloating manner as Jack immediately retracted and pulled back, both individuals now sitting upright in their seats, fear clearly written and flushed on their faces. Unfortunately for them, Jack's little prank had put the duo into quite the predicament, as the officer had mistaken his prank for Jack and Kim eating each others' faces off... or worse. And in a conventional town like Gardenia, that kind of PDA among two supposed boyfriend-girlfriend duo was definitely against the law. The deed would not go unpunished.

"Sir, it's not what you're thinking. Please listen to me, we - "

"Why in such a hurry. Come to the police station with me - we'll talk there." He looked at Jack more profusely, _you too pretty boy._

* * *

Meanwhile, Katherine, Jack's mother was frantically pacing around her room in L.A., phone in hand. She'd made countless calls - but Jack wasn't picking any of them up. The anxiety was slowly killing her - her son hadn't called her in 2 whole days. What was going on over there? She needed to know - she knew she shouldn't have let him go off to Gardenia. Oh, how she hated that uncivilized, low-standard town. But what she despised even more was that wretched excuse of a family - the Crawford family.

_Okay let's try again._ She dialed her son's number on her keypad.

* * *

"Alright. Enough joking around now. I want an explanation, and it _better_ be good." The officer sat behind his oak desk as Jack and Kim stood in front of him.

Jack put his hands on the chair in front of him. "Sir, the both of us - looking at Kim briefly as she looked at him too and then looked down at her phone - I mean, it really isn't what it looks like." He said, pleading that this was all just a misunderstanding. Kim on the other hand hastily cut Brett's call, too perplexed about the situation at hand.

"Tell me something. What do I look like to you?"

Jack's lips twitched slightly upwards in response as his elbows now leisurely hung over on the chair. A mischievous glint in his tone, he told him, "Sir, your face looks like - "

To Jack's dismay, Kim Crawford chose to intervene, tugging on his arm. She spoke in a low whisper with anger so that only he could hear her words, "Jack what the heck are you doing? I want to go home."

The police officer looked at the duo as they exchanged glances. "Just sit over there, I'll come soon."

"Yes sir, so I was saying that you - " He said as he ignored her glowering gaze on him and looked at the authoritative figure in front of him.

He was interrupted yet again by a desperate Kim putting her hands on the officer's desk, pleading. "Sir please believe us!" She walked around his desk to face him directly. "It's not you're thinking! We - "

_Not again._ Why couldn't she just stay put and let him handle this? He hastily approached her, whirling her around by the arm. Not taking another second to spare he dragged her away from the desk and sat her onto the bench away from his station. However, this didn't go without Kim constantly protesting to let her talk to the officer, to which Jack sternly shut her up and told her to let him handle this.

The officer looked at the duo again as Jack dragged her away from the officer. Their bickering whispers didn't go unnoticed by him. "Well boy, this girl seems quite more intelligent than you." He commented while Jack dragged her away.

Walking back to the officer's desk, his phone in his pocket began to ring. "Yeah so I was saying - " He picked up his phone as he stood behind the officer's desk. "Mom?"

_Finally! Her darling son had picked up the call. _"Jack!" A mother's excitedness was evident in her voice.

"Mom, I'll call you back." He hastily replied. In a haste to solve the situation at hand, he put his phone on the desk, forgetting to press the end button on his iPhone. Jack's mother was appalled when she overheard Jack's voice.

Taking a seat behind the desk, Jack inches closer to the officer. "Actually sir, that girl outside is my _fiancé_." He said in a low whisper as if he was letting the officer in on a little secret. Truth be told, Jack only did this so that Kim wouldn't hear him. He knew she would totally disapprove of his method of saving them. _Goody two-shoes_.

"Say what now?"

"My future wife."

After hearing those words, Katherine immediately hangs up her phone, utterly shocked. "Fiance? Wife?" Her face goes utterly pale, as if she'd seen a ghost.

* * *

Jack's words kept ringing in his mother's brain. _Sir, actually that girl over there is my fiance. My future wife._

"Mom? You called for me?"

Katherine looked up to see Joshua's first wife Natalie standing before her. "Yes." Her voice was nervous and anxious. "I want you to call your brother Milton and ask him where him and Jack are. What they're doing, where they go, why Jack hasn't returned to L.A. yet. What the both of them are up to - I want _every__. single. detail._"

Natalie was surprised at the tone in her voice. It was jittery and restless. It so wasn't like her at all. "Is - Is everything okay, Mom?"

"Just do as I say." The ultimatum was sharp and commanding.

* * *

"A mere _thank-you_ would suffice you know," Jack said as he trailed behind her as they walked out towards their vehicle.

"Thank you? Thank you for _what? _Taking me to the police station?" A sardonic tone was apparent in her voice as she flinged her bag over her shoulder to the back seat.

"For bringing you out from the police station."

She incredulously looked at him as he stood on the opposite side of the vehicle, near the driver's seat, and her near the passenger's seat. She raised her eyebrow at him angrily as he continued, "if it wasn't for me, you'd still be _in_ the police station."

"If it wasn't for _youu_, I wouldn't even have to _look_ at a police station." She angrily climbed aboard as she settled into her seat.

"Hold on!" He climbed around onto his seat, similar to Kim's actions, but with more enthusiasm. "You didn't go to the police station because of me, you went because of your _scarf_ (pointing to it with his index finger when he said the word). _I _didn't tell you to get your scarf stuck in the wheel."

As Jack showed attitude and put the key in the ignition hole, Kim revolted. "So you could've told me! _I _would've taken it out."

Casually glancing at her, he objected, "You were the one who said to shut up."

"I told you to _shut up_, NOT MAKE A MOVE on me!" She profusely glared her index finger at his face.

"Oh please! Girls make a move on _me!" _He told her, gesturing towards himself in a cool attitude. "I don't make moves on girls," he said as he stood up cowering over her figure as he scanned his eyes all around her.

Or so she thought. Taken aback by his actions, she cried, "HEYYY! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" _'I don't make moves', my foot! _

"I was just checking to see if your scarf was stuck in the wheel again."

"I swear, you're nothing but trouble!" Averting her eyes away from him, she huffed in anger and jumped off the jeep. "I should just stay away from you!" He ruined her whole day! He's always ruining everything!

No way she was getting the last word again. Not stopping for another second, he watched her speed walk away from him. As she did so, he cried out, standing on his feet, "I'm not interested in coming to you either!"

Kim stopped on her heels as Jack sat back down in his seat behind the wheel. Sharply turning around to see him fiddling with the gearshift, she strode over to him. Seeing her stride, he looked up at her in front of him, expecting her to say something. She always needed an excuse to berate him.

"By the way, what did you tell the officer?" She raised her eyebrow at him. "That he let us go?"

"Oh nothing. Just made a request in my cool dude attitude, and he let us go." His lips curved upward into a smirk as she glared at him again. _I knew it, the idiot wouldn't just say the truth! _He playfully gestured with his eyes for her to come sit in the Jeep beside him, moving his eyes to her and then to the periphery of the seat.

_I can't believe he actually thinks I'm gonna get in the car with him after all this. _

Rolling her eyes, she decided to not spare another moment, and turned around the other way to leave the premise, her nose held up high in anger.

He watched her as she left, walking down the road away from her. A smile played on his lips as her figure went down the street. _Gotta admit, she sure is cute when she's angry. _

* * *

"Natalie. Book tickets as soon as possible. We're going to Gardenia." Katherine needed to see this for herself. After Natalie had told her that Milton had spoken to her and told his older sister that they've been staying at Serena's house and not at the hotel that _she_ had booked for her son and his friend, her suspicions had become more firm. She had to get to the bottom of this.

* * *

Kim's mother and great-aunt witnessed yet another bickering tom and jerry session between the two immature adults before them in the living room. Luckily, Jack's phone started to ring, and Serena's face lit up at the mention of Jack responding with a "Dad" to the individual on the other line. Her excitement accelerated further when Jack said that he would pick Marcus up at the airport, as his flight had landed in Gardenia.

"Okay Dad. One minute." Jack turned around to a smiling Kim who was laughing away with Grey. "Here. It's Dad." He handed the phone to her upon seeing her giving him a questionable look. "He wants to talk to you."

She willingly took the phone in hand, but not without sending a menacing glare his way.

A heartfelt smile crept up his lips as Kim's mood instantly lifted once she said hi to his father on the other line. Although he'd never let the sane part of his conscience admit it, she looked good when she smiled. She looked... nice. Sometimes he would wonder what the equation between them would be if they didn't fight all the time. Would they be friends? More than friends?

"Yes. Yes of _course_ I'll come to the airport." She handed his phone back to him as her effervescent smile was gone and replaced with a thin line, glaring at him again.

She walked up to her mother who was sitting on a couch near the two, "Mom I have to go to the airport."

"Okay, well Jack's going, just go with him," she suggested with a smile.

Grudgingly, she looked over at Jack, boring her eyes at him. _Great, now I'll never get to the airport. It's not like this stupid idiot is gonna let me come with him_.

A thin line across his lips, he spoke, directly looking at Kim: "Rini, I'll leave in 15 minutes. Anyone that wants to come can do so, provided they're _ready_ in time." Clearly, it was a taunt directed towards her as she saw him leave with an inflated ego.

Serena laughed along with Kim's Great-Aunt as Kim rolled her eyes at Jack's nature. "Oh these two - their habits haven't changed a bit from their childhood days!" The world would end, but Kim and Jack's non-stop bickering? Never. She smiled at the thought.

* * *

Leaning his elbow on the Jeep, he looked at his watch for the umpteenth time, waiting for his father and mother to come through the doors as he stood out the airport. As he briefly looked around to pass time, he noticed a shivering Kim rubbing her hands up and down her arms when he looked over his shoulder. Albeit Jack is unbelievable and is quite unpredictable, he also had a quite caring and sweet side to him. He knew she wouldn't take the jacket he was wearing if he directly offered it to her, due to her inflated ego. Thoughtful and subtle, he pretended he was feeling quite hot and unzipped it off of him. He took the jacket off, putting it into the back seat where he knew Kim would lay eyes on it, and hence wear it.

As he slowly went out of sight, seeming to walk into the airport through the sliding doors, Kim apprehensively looked over her shoulder to make sure he wasn't there. She hastily grabbed his jacket from the back seat, pulling it on for size.

However, there was just one thing she was having trouble with - the zipper. It just wouldn't go up. She repeatedly fidgeted with it as she looked down, her gaze practically on the floor. _Oh c'mon, just a little push..._

A pair of soft fingers grasped onto hers, and she immediately felt a spark flow through her. Raising her gaze upwards, she found herself boring into his eyes. The usual mischievous charm in his eyes was not visible. It felt like pure care, concern. He timidly looked into her eyes, and then at the zipper he was holding down below. The duo may annoy the crap out of each other like crazy, but nonetheless they still did have that soft corner for each other.

She released her hands from the zipper as Jack fidgeted with it like she was before. Her hands hung in the air as Jack made his attempt, and seemed to be more successful than she had previously been. She looked at him as he looked down at the zipper, trying to bring it up. For the first time, his actions were touching her heart - he was actually being considerate... caring. No pranks, no mischief. Just Jack, and just Kim. His fingers holding onto the zipper while he tried to bring it upwards lingered as he raised his gaze upwards, right into her eyes. An unspoken attraction was between them as they looked on.

_Boundless._

The attraction, the emotions, the looks they gave each other - it was all _boundless. _

And it was due to that _boundless_ attraction that the zipper had finally clicked, and Jack didn't waver his gaze away from her eyes as he pulled the zipper up.

To Kim, it felt like her insides were melting. It was as if he was slowly seducing her without even touching her at all. His eyes were enough - he was leaving her flustered even when he doesn't _try_ to do so as a prank.

Katherine gets yet another shock upon her arrival to Gardenia. Her eyes pop out of her sockets when she walks out the airport doors and onto the street of Gardenia, appalled at what she was seeing. Katherine is shocked and surprised seeing Jack and Kim, too close for comfort. Her son was millimetres away from a blonde girl, romantically zipping up her jacket. But that jacket was Jack's. She could recognize it anywhere. What was going on? Her worst fears were coming true – her darling son was getting romantically involved with a _GARDENIAN. _

Their eyelock was snap broken in an instant when the duo heard Katherine's voice adjacent to them. A smile lit up on Jack's face as he gleefully walked up to her and hugged his mother.

"Hey, Dad!" He hugged his father as Marcus walked up to his boy, embracing him.

"How are you, my son?"

"Very well!" Marcus chuckled at the enthusiasm of his son. It seemed Jack was enjoying his stay in Gardenia. His eyes drifted towards Kim as she greeted him with a bow, and then his wife. Marcus marveled at the sight before him as she smiled innocently at him. 15 years... it'd been 15 long years since he'd seen her - the last time she was just a wee child with pigtails. Time had done wonders on her - she looked absolutely beautiful. Of course, he'd always see her on skype, but she looked even more ethereal in person.

"My goodness!" He walked up to her and continued, "We've talked on skype countless times, but I had no idea you were so beautiful in person!" He brought his lips to her head as he tenderly kissed her forehead in a fatherly manner. "My goodness." He turned his attention towards his wife as he turned himself around to face her, his arm around his darling Kim. "Katherine my dear, _this _is our Kim."

"I can see that. She's grown up to be quite the lady." She said with a dry voice, which went unnoticed by both father and son. "Jack, tell the driver to get the car."

"Not a car, Mom." A glint of mischief and excitement was in his eyes as he raised the keys looped around his finger up in the air so his father could see. Marcus's eyes grew wide with surprise, focusing in on the keys. _No... that couldn't be..._

"If T-Rex can be a dude, then you aren't any less Dad. Your dream Jeep is waiting for you," he said to his Dad, putting the keys into the palm of his hand.

Wonder filled his eyes as he saw his dream Jeep in front of him, the red flames on the bonnet and all. His feet started moving on its own accord toward the vehicle; there was no stopping the inner youth beckoning to come out now.

* * *

**Next time on Boundless:  
**

Katherine hands ticket and boarding pass for Bangkok into Jack's hands. "Bangkok ticket?"

"Go on. Your friends are waiting for you."

**0-0-0-**

Kim and Jack stand across each other in her room as Jack tells her he won't be attending her wedding as he's finally going to Bangkok.

"Go. Your absence in my wedding is _perfect_." A wide smile encompassed her lips.

"Now how can it be _perfect?_" He said with a teasing tone. "After all... _I_ was your first choice."

She scoffed. "Jack Anderson. _My _choice? NEVER."

"All the best."

They shared one final handshake between them.

Jack started to walk past Kim leaving her room, when he felt a slight tug on the jacket vest he was wearing. That same _boundless_ spark resonated through him as both individuals turned around to face each other, noticing that a part of Kim's wedding dress she was trying on had been entangled with the zipper on his vest. They looked into each other's eyes. Was this a sign? A symbol of the forthcoming future?

What did God and destiny have in store for Jack and Kim's future?

Find out next time on _Boundless._


	8. His Opinion

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* * *

**Chapter 8 – His Opinion: The Most Valuable?**

His eyes widened as he saw the white tickets inside the white coloured envelope that his mother handed in his hands. "Air ticket to Bangkok?" He was having so much fun in Gardenia that he'd completely forgotten about his previous plans for New Years' in Bangkok with his old chaps.

His mother nodded in response as a grin appeared on her lips. "Your Dad has come to Gardenia now. You're free now. Go on, your friends are waiting for you."

Katherine watched as her son blankly stared at the envelope in his hands, a thin line across his lips. Although she tried her best not to show it, she was growing apprehensive. Why wasn't Jack happy? Didn't he want to go to Bangkok with his friends? He hadn't fallen in _love_ with that Kim, had he? _No…_

Her fears were washed away when Jack embraced her tight in a bone-crushing hug, and she immediately smiled in return. "I love you, Mom."

"You're fantastic!" His happiness knew no bounds as he pulled away, but his hands were still lingered on his mother's upper arms. "How do you always know what I want?" He asked in an ecstatic manner.

"I'm your _mom_, Jack." In a loving manner, she softly placed her hands on both sides of his face.

Jack smiled at the affection of his mother. He really was so lucky to have such great parents. He could never imagine his life without his mom _or_ dad. "But what about Dad?"

"_I'll_ talk to your Dad, don't worry, alright?"

_You're the best Mom._ Giving a light feather kiss on her left cheek, he left the area.

A wicked smile encompassed Katherine's lips as Jack left. _The sooner my son goes far away from Gardenia and its people… the better. _

But was Jack really going to leave? Highly unlikely, as she would soon find out to her dismay.

* * *

While Katherine was busy convincing Marcus to let Jack go to Bangkok, meanwhile Jack was saying his final goodbyes to his darling Rini. Why did he have to go? The wedding was this evening – couldn't he just wait until tomorrow? She'd seen her darling Jack after 15 long years. She didn't want to let go just yet.

"Oh Rini, I promise I'll come visit you and Chuck once your daughter leaves," he said warmly as he placed his hands on his favourite Rini's upper arms. "Honestly, I never thought I'd have so much fun here." One might have thought that just like his mother, Jack would've acted like a snob and complain about the village down market life compared to his luxurious past London life, but instead Jack was nowhere close. He turned out to be just like his father, and fit in quite well with everyone.

"Then why are you going?" Serena's eyes started to well up with tears as she looked up at him. She'd spent time with Jack after 15 long years. She didn't even realize when time slipped by through her fingers – couldn't he just stay a little longer?

He smiled at her affection towards him. "My friends are waiting for me in Bangkok, Rini. And – " His eyes softened as he noticed that his favourite Rini looked down at the ground, dejected. Wet tears on the brim of her lower eyelid, threatening to spill over didn't go unnoticed by him.

He was right – she was being selfish. In the midst of him being around her for the past few days, she'd forgotten that he had a life of his own – a life that was far apart from Gardenia.

Jack enveloped his Rini into a heartwarming hug. Deep down, he didn't want to go either. Rini too relished in the heartwarming hug. Who knew when the next time that she would see him would be. She looked up and inwardly prayed that her Jack get all the happiness in the world, that wherever he may be, he would always be happy.

"Rini, Milton's waiting for me at the airport. I should leave, hmm?" He said as he pulled away, putting a hand on her right cheek.

Serena watched Jack's figure as his back faced her and he walked down the hall, thinking that he was going out her home. Little did she know that he made one more stop to a certain person's room before leaving for good. The question was, why was it so important to bid goodbye to this person?

* * *

The wedding day had finally arrived, and it was a time of joy and glee. Everyone was roaming around in hustle and bustle, getting everything perfect for the wedding ceremony to be held in the evening. The ceremony would be held at a Church venue, which also acted as a hall of some sorts, where many quarters and rooms were allotted. Kim was given a special room upstairs where the bride was to get ready, while the ceremony would be held at the altar on the main floor.

Grey and the rest of Kim's friends continued to praise and compliment how beautiful she looked as she stood in front of her mirror, trying on her wedding dress for size. It was a gold, silky colour, with red embroidery at the bodice, as well as at the border. The tailor, who stood in a corner at the back of her room, interrupted their giddy squeals and whatnot, asking if he could leave now. Kim in return objected and slightly scolded him, saying to let her check the fitting properly. After all, you only wear a wedding dress once in your life. The dress would be shown in all the albums, in all the pictures. She had to make sure it was perfect.

Jack slowly walked into Kim's room, halting at the door as the sight of Kim in her plausible wedding dress adorned his eyes.

Her back was faced to him as he scanned her figure up and down, a half-smile on his lips. She looked ethereal, magical, beautiful. If she looked this good from the back, he could only imagine how she'd look when she would turn around.

He waited for her to notice his presence. She always did – whenever he was around, it was like this voice from somewhere would tell her that Jack was nearby, close nearby, causing her to get momentarily flustered at his arrival.

And just as expected, she felt his gaze on her – she knew he was near her. And to confirm her thoughts, she saw his reflection in her mirror in front of her, the familiar mischief in his eyes and smile on his lips.

The trance was broken as Grey, who was standing beside her older sister, spoke up, noticing Jack standing near the door. "Jack!" She said excitedly. "Doesn't Kim look beautiful?" She, along with the rest of Kim's friends, urged Jack further.

However, Jack remained silent as he continued to gaze with narrow eyes and a smile at her figure. But he wasn't the only one. Kim too remained silent, blush creeping on her cheeks and an innocent smile playing on her lips as she looked at Jack's reflection looking at her with twinkling eyes like a lightened spark and his lips seemed to twitch upwards as if to smile. Both of the individuals basked in each other's silence as yet another unspoken attraction existed between them.

She whirled around to face him, and saw him standing in his full glory, looking at her. His eyes had that familiar twinkle she'd seen whenever he'd look at her on the sly. That look where she didn't know what was going on in his mind – did he genuinely think she looked pretty? Or was it just another one of his pranks to annoy her? But this time, it seemed real and genuine as he took a step forward, and then another one – the half-smile and charm in his eyes still there on his face.

Kim blushed and smiled as he walked up, now only a few feet away from her. The way he looked at her, she was expecting a compliment from him. She would never admit it to her sane self, but the way he looked at her made her feel complete, and whether she'd accept it or not, she did care what he thought about her.

Why wasn't he saying anything? Her face was calm, but her mind was in a whirlwind. She was excitedly waiting for him to say something, to tell her how she looked.

After a long eyelock between them that felt like forever, when Jack finally spoke, Kim's smile immediately vanished and fury overtook her face -

"Meh, nothing special."

Jack smiled in content as he noticed Kim's nose flaring up in anger. _Now there's that cute, ferocious Kim I know_.

"You're _crazy."_ She said as she profusely glared at him, her eyes wide._ I know I look perfectly fine. _

He smirked as he continued, enjoying her flustered state. "Your nose looks about," and he mused as if estimating the right amount, "about an inch and a half longer than usual in this golden-red colour combination."

Grey and the rest of Kim's friends immediately erupted in laughter at his comment, while Kim slightly turned away dejected, looking into her mirror. The sudden voice of a ranting Great-Aunt about an errand entered Grey's ears, and the posse of girls immediately bolted out the room, fearful of her wrath.

Kim raised her nose slightly, adjusting the position of her face at different angles as she looked on into the mirror. A smile crept up on Jack's face as he watched her eye her nose precariously, checking whether it really did look an inch longer. Oh how he loved to annoy her.

"Can I go now ma'am?"

She turned around, hearing the tailor's voice. "Yeah, you can go." She answered with an irritated tone. As he did as told, Jack looked at Kim with a half-smirk as she glared at him with wide eyes, a look that could kill.

"You're not as _funny_," (snapping her fingers and pointing her index finger at him), "as you think you are." She barked. "I know it, this gold-red combination really suits me."

_Ya sure you're not saying that to yourself? _He smirked at her.

"I don't need your opinion." No matter what she said, there was no denying that she did feel disappointed when he didn't compliment her. His opinion _did_ matter to her.

He started to walk backwards as he spoke, "When your husband is gonna see you with that 1.5 inch nose on your wedding night and then scream," he chuckled as he said the words, "'witch witch'," and stopped walking, standing in place, "THEN you're gonna miss me."

She took no longer than a millisecond to scoff in return. "Miss _you?_ NEVER."

"Our feelings are so mutual, aren't they?"

She crocked her head to the side, somewhat confused. _Feelings_?

"I won't miss you either." He told her, the smile on his face conveying that he was about to say something exciting and revealing. "In _Bangkok_."

Momentarily, Kim felt as if the wind had knocked off her feet off the ground as she let out a loud gasp, shocked at his forlorn words. However, a moment later she recomposed herself as a thin line crossed her lips, and curiosity filled her mind. "In Bangkok?"

"I won't be able to _bear_ the pain of your farewell." Her eyes widened further as he spoke with a taunting voice. "That's why I'm leaving. Right _now_."

The moment he said he's leaving. Her entire eyes told a different story. She was disappointed. Body language stiffened up and as much as she could try, he read her eyes. His expressions with a smirk changed into sadness. He didn't want to leave and somewhere along the way he wished she would tell him to stay but words found themselves at a loss…

The EYES. They spoke more volumes than anything else.

He eyed her precariously as she walked over to face him, a confident smile on her face. What was going on in her mind? Was she going to miss him? Was she sad to hear that he was leaving? It looked like it. But now he just wasn't sure, seeing that spunky expression on her face again.

"Have fun." She said with a smile.

He was taken aback. She was… happy for him?

"A vacation in Bangkok? _Perfect_."

He watched a smirk adorn her lips, one that _he _would usually have as she spoke. "Your absence in my wedding? _Absolutely_ perfect." A wide smile encompassed her lips.

"Now how can it be _perfect?_" He said with a teasing tone. "After all... _I_ was your first choice."

Jack definitely was Kim's first choice – even if it was through a misunderstanding of identity. She may not admit it, but her heart initially did start to beat for Jack when she was kept in the dark.

She scoffed. "Jack Anderson. _My _choice? NEVER."

Kim was surprised when in the midst of eyeing her, Jack gave her an earnest smile. At least, it looked genuine. Plus, his words weren't exactly consisting of their usual petty fights – "Anyways… For your future and your marriage – "

She was pleasantly surprised as her eyes focused in on Jack's outstretched hand in front of her. It looked like he was asking for a handshake. Was it a truce? A final goodbye?

Looking back up at him, she observed his face for a while, trying to decipher what his intentions were. He seemed genuine. Her thoughts were confirmed when the corners of his lips twitched upwards slightly in a sincere manner, his eyes conveying purity, innocently urging her to accept his handshake.

He smiled when Kim looked at him with a smile and honest eyes.

Time paused as Kim placed her hand in his, shaking his hand happily. The duo innocently grinned at each other as their hands fit perfectly into each other's. Neither one of them was aware of the fact, but their hands had fit like two pieces of a puzzle, meant to fit together. Was this really the final goodbye for them? What did God have in store for their future?

"Have a safe journey."

Jack smiled at her words of goodwill. They shared a blissful eyelock as the duo wholeheartedly wished each other good luck for their own respective futures.

Her hand lingered briefly in the air as they both let go, bringing their hands back to their own respective bodies. In that brief moment, the inner part of Kim's conscience didn't want to let go. However, the more sane part of her overtook, and she took a step to walk past him. In fact, not only Kim, Jack also took a step forward like she did, both of them intending to part their separate ways, back into their own worlds, their own lives - before they had met in Gardenia.

He felt a slight tug on the jacket vest he was wearing, and she felt her footsteps halting, something not allowing her to move any further. That same _boundless_ spark resonated through him as both individuals turned around to face each other, noticing that a part of Kim's wedding dress she was trying on had been entangled with the zipper on his vest. They looked into each other's eyes. Was this a sign? A symbol of the forthcoming future?

What did God and destiny have in store for Jack and Kim's future?

Both of them were at a loss for words as they looked at each other, bewildered. Jack's eyes drifted from Kim's, and then at the zipper, which was entangled with the hem of Kim's dress.

A surprising softness glimmered in his eyes as he raised his hand, forcibly disentangling the fabric from his zipper. She looked up at him as he handed her her dress back. She smiled in understanding, and grabbed the hem by the pad of her fingers.

She felt his gaze on her as he smiled at her, and slightly blushed to turn away from him. Both individuals started to walk in opposite directions, smiles plastered onto their faces as one walked towards the door, and the other towards her mirror.

Their footfalls halted midway as they thought of each other. Both individuals paused, musing about the other. It was if they felt each other not satisfied with their goodbye, and the need to see the latter just one more time caused them to both whirl around to face each other _at the same time_.

Moments of silence that felt like eons passed between them as they just looked at each other with wide grins on their faces. Their eyes gleamed with happiness, finding each other in their eyes.

"Goodbye." She bowed with her right hand as a final farewell, hoping to never see him again. This would be the final closure to their story.

He raised his left hand to return the gesture, but he paused, and his hand remained lingering in the air. He fervently remembered her words as her image propped into his mind _– "__you bow with your right hand." She did a little demo for him, bending downwards to bow with her right hand._

Immediately, he switched hands, and repeated her gesture, bowing with his right hand. "Goodbye."

She widely grinned as he bid her farewell. His thoughtfulness touched her, and she turned around away from him as he finally left her room, walking out the door… never to return again. _Or so she thought_.

In fact, there _was_ no end. Because boundless meant limitless. And no limits meant that neither was there a boundary of a beginning, nor a boundary of an end. This was just the start… to a new journey of finding _boundless_ love.

* * *

Mindlessly smiling in lost thoughts just moments after he left, Kim sat on her plush chair behind her mirror. However, her smile faltered as she remembered his words in her mind – _"Your nose looks about," and he mused as if estimating the right amount, "about an inch and a half longer in this golden-red colour combination." _

Her gaze went deeper into the mirror before she scrunched up her face in a cute manner, giving different angles to see how her nose looked. Did it really look longer in this dress? His words had constantly overtook her mind – he had such an effect on her that she was still thinking about his comment on her nose.

* * *

Presuming that Jack must've reached L.A. by now, Katherine decided to call her son up before his connecting flight to Bangkok. To her dismay, she was in for a shocker when a female voice picked up the call on the other line. It sounded oddly familiar, just like…

"Kim?"

"Hi Kat!" She said in an endearing tone, as she knew who the other person on the line was, courtesy of the good ol' feature of caller ID.

"What are you doing with Jack's phone? Where is Jack?" Did he not go to L.A.? Why was his phone with Kim? WHERE WAS HE?

"Actually Kat when Jack came to say goodbye, he left his phone here. I just noticed it too." As she casually roamed around her room, she had noticed it lying on the ground. She then assumed that he must have dropped it by accident when he was trying to disentangle her dress from his zipper.

Katherine let out a relieved sigh. "Oh all right. Bye." She rudely hung up.

* * *

Kim flopped onto her chair in front of her mirror, nonchalantly organizing her jewellery for the wedding ceremony later today. A familiar ringtone sounding below on the dressing table in front of her brought her out of her actions as she set down the bracelets to pick up Jack's phone. She looked at the caller ID in an observant manner and was surprised –

_Cutie_? What kind of a name is that?

Nevertheless, and intrigued, she cautiously picked it up, putting his phone to her ear.

"Hello?" She said, an irritated expression on her face.

"Jack! Baby, where are you? You _are_ coming to Hataya Beach at noon, right?"

"Jack forgot his phone here. I'll let him know you called." She answered. Aggravated still, she was about to hang up and put the phone down, but that annoying, pestering, posh female British voice intervened.

"Who are you?"

"Kim." She replied with confidence, rolling her eyes.

"Are you his maid?"

"No."

"Then who are you?"

"Enemy." She boldly replied as she stood up on her two feet, cutting the call. She angrily set the phone on the dresser.

She started to organize her jewellery on her dresser again, but not without muttering in the process. "Gosh, his friends are as irritating as him." She mimicked a posh British voice, "_cutie._" A hint of jealousy was in her voice.

However, the incessant ringtone started again. She picked it up, and a mischevious expression on her face appeared when she saw the caller ID.

"Kissy?"

She precariously listened to another flirty, British high-pitched female voice on the other line – "Sweetheart! Where are you? You were supposed to meet me at one o'clock?"

"Don't worry. Your 'sweetheart' will come to kiss you at one." Huffing, she angrily cut the call yet again.

Seating herself down to resume her organizing, she was interrupted once more by that annoying ringtone.

She was exasperated as she picked up the phone and held it in her right hand. _I don't believe this_. "Oh my God! Cutie, kissy, and now _huggie_?"

"Honey! You said you'd be in Bangkok by two o'clock! Have you arrived?" Kim rolled her eyes profusely as yet another high pitched British girl spoke on the other line.

"Don't worry, you'll get your hug by 2!" She replied in an exasperated tone, instantly hanging up as she harshly set the phone on the dresser again.

To say she was annoyed with all the calls on his phone… was an understatement. "noon, one, two… he's given them all appointments!" What's wrong with him? What was with him and all these weird names for his girlfriends? Couldn't he store the contacts with their real names? Why these absurd nicknames?

She shuddered at the thought of his playboy reputation. _London return Mr. Jack… what else can I expect from such a boy. _"Thank the Lord he left."

Her lips suddenly parted in a forlorn manner as she gaped at the round mirror in front of her. Her mind drifted to the events that had surpassed just this morning –

_Grey: C'mon tell us Jack! How does Kim look? _

Mind whirling, her eyes grew wide seeing a black and white smirking Jack embedded in her mirror – she could only gape away as he spoke, _"Your nose looks about," and he mused as if estimating the right amount, "about an inch and a half longer in this golden-red colour combination." _

After he disappeared from the mirror, Kim unconsciously put a finger on her nose, moving her face to the left to show her left profile, and then repeating her actions to show her right profile in the mirror. His words just couldn't go out of her head – that taunting smile of his and nose comment had her mind in a whirlwind. That being said, she couldn't deny the fact that he had such a large effect on her that she couldn't shake off the thought of Jack and his comment about her nose. Plus, he was a guy after all… a stupid one at that – but what if Brett thought that her nose looked longer too?

Kim abruptly stood up and recomposed herself as she heard Grey's voice behind her, presuming her to walk in. "You called Kim?" She asked nonchalantly.

"Ye-yeah." She nonchalantly started to fidget with an earring, bringing it to her earlobe as if trying it on for size. If only Grey could see the apprehension on Kim's face if her back wasn't turned to her. "I told you to call the tailor back, right?"

"Yeah, we called him, but you said the fitting was fine, right?" Her sister replied cordially as she and her cousin giggled over the beautiful dress Kim was going to wear tonight. It wasn't every day your older sister was getting married.

Swallowing her breath, she braced herself for the outburst that her sister and cousins would have at her following words – she stammered briefly before muttering in one big breath as if it was really no big deal at all – "The fitting's fine, the colour – it's not all that great."

Grey's jaw immediately dropped at her words, along with Kim's cousins who were standing with her. She couldn't be serious! "Kim! Don't you think it's a little too late?"

After getting no answer, she spoke again. "There's only NINE hours left to the wedding, and you're talking about CHANGING YOUR DRESS?!"

"Ye-eah so?" The tailor was the finest one in Gardenia. She was sure he could do it. "I'm sure the tailor can sew it up in eight hours."

Not able to take it anymore, she rushed up to her sister as she casually stood in front of her mirror as if this was no big deal at all. Hyperventilating, she roughly turned her around by her shoulders – had she lost it! "Kim! EIGHT HOURS!" She stressed, didn't she get it!

"Look. I don't want to curse my choice after seeing my wedding photo." She said affirmatively, and then looked away, pretending to fidget with the earring in her hand. "Oh, didn't Mom have that orange material? That'll look the best." She patted her shoulder, seeing that her decision was final now. Everything was set – it was perfect. "C'mon, go and call him."

"Okay." _I guess. If you say so._ Grey turned around and started to walk out her room, but stopped her footsteps midway. "Kim, I had my doubts, but now I'm sure of it. This is all because of Jack, right! I mean, you actually think that your nose – "

"ARE YOU CRAZY!" She burst as she whirled around to face her younger sister. NO. NO WAY. "I'm doing this for Jack?!"

Courtney blankly stared at Kim's peculiar outburst as she tried to reason that she wasn't doing this for him. But her behavior and body language was saying otherwise. Grey was right – even though Kim had refused to admit it, this had everything to do with Jack. Albeit he wasn't there, what he thought of her really did make a difference to Kim – his opinion was of value to her, though she would never admit the same.

"I just want to look good for Brett." She slapped her shoulder and practically pushed her to go get the tailor when her phone started to ring.

"Talk of the angel and he rings," Grey teased as her eyes drifted toward the name on her caller ID.

Little did she knew that her so-called brother-in-law was no angel… as she would soon find out.

Kim smiled as she picked up her phone and put it to her ear. "Hello."

"Do you like red or yellow?"

"Umm… red?"

"And do you like gardens or rivers?"

"Why do you ask?" So random.

"I asked do you like gardens or river?" His tone was more affirmative and possessive, which yet again went unnoticed by Kim. She had been so clouded by her fantasies of her future married life together with Brett that she failed to notice the sinister tone in his voice.

"Garden."

"Goodbye." Brett immediately hung up after he got his future wife's answer.

"Hey – " Before she could have a chance to ask him why he was asking her these weird questions, he had already cut the call.

_Okay then_. She pressed the end button on her phone as well, and brought her arm to her side.

"What was that?"

Kim turned to face her sister upon hearing her voice. "I don't know. He was asking 'do you like gardens or rivers'."

Grey laughed at the same. _Weird._ And yet, she too didn't think highly of the matter.

While Kim, Grey, and the rest of her family ignored his bizarre call and went on with the rest of the wedding preparations, Brett had a wicked smile on his face as he told his mother that Kim likes gardens.

A similar wicked smile formed on his mother's lips as she sat on a lawn chair in their lawn outside their extravagant and luxurious home. "Perfect." Today would mark a new beginning – for they had the golden egg that would lead them to riches – Kim Crawford.

* * *

**Next time on BOUNDLESS:**

Showdown at the wedding venue, with just minutes to go before the ceremony begins.

Brett shows a picture of Jack and Kim in each other's arms on a row boat at the New Year's Party, and Kim is appalled. He accuses her of having no character and having an affair even though she is engaged. It doesn't help that the police officer that arrested Jack and Kim days before turns out to be Brett's maternal uncle.

Kim is shocked, but nevertheless holds her ground. If he was so riled up about this, then why didn't he just ask her? Why keep his insecurity in the dark until the freaking WEDDING DAY? "You could've just rightfully ASKED me about what the truth was, Brett!"

"Why would he do that, Kim? Then how would they dare have the audacity to ask for 400,000 dollars on the wedding day?!" Piper shouted, she couldn't take it anymore. Tears were already flowing down her cheeks as Brett continued to humiliate Kim and their family.

Kim is shocked yet again at the new revelation, and remembers back to a time when Serena had handed over a box to Brett's mother, saying it was a wedding token. It was now clear that that was no wedding token.

Brett is shocked to the core, and gapes open wide-mouthed as Kim sends a blowing slap to his right cheek. His cheek stings of pain from the impact.

"I DO NOT accept this marriage." She firmly told him. His ego was torn to pieces as Kim called off their wedding. This wasn't part of the plan. Plus, how dare she raise her hand on him! Pure fury and anger filled his eyes as he glared at her, finding that she wasn't backing down at all. How could the tables have turned on him like that? HE was the male in this relationship, HE was to have the upper hand!

He would NOT live this down. By hook… or by crook.

* * *

_Leave a review if time permits and my work inspired you enough to do so. I have no intention of putting any reader under pressure for a review. _

_I welcome all reviews - good and bad. So feel free. _

_Chapter 9 will come up on Friday, June 13th.  
_

_Until then,  
_

_Cheers_

_Kiya  
_


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